Dot Hack Mew Mew
by Musashi the Master
Summary: First ever Dot Hack X Mew Mew Power crossover. Join Zoey, Kite, BlackRose, Tsusaka and their friends and allies from The World and anime worlds as they fight the evil Morganna Mode Gone and her 8 Phases to save Bridget, Orca, Subaru and other comatose players and save the world!
1. Prologue: The Girl in White

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dot Hack, Mew Mew Power and other anime in this fic! Their respected owners do.**

Main Theme: Silly Go Round

Yume kara samete mo  
Kono te wo nobasu yo

Even if we wake from this dream,  
I will extend my hand...

Onaji tsuyosa de yobi au  
Kokoro ni nareru no naraba  
Nanninbun no kizu demo  
Boku wa uketomerareru yo

If our hearts could be called together  
By the same strength,  
I will be able to  
Take on everyone's wounds.

Mou sukoshi datte ki ga surunda  
Kono kabe ga kuzureru  
Reimei

If we just care a little bit more,  
This wall will surely crumble  
Before the dawn.

Yume kara samete mo mada minai yume no hou made  
Bokura wa hitori de hashiri tsudukeru shika nainda  
Korogari mayotte tsukuridasu boku no inryoku ga  
Itsuka  
Kimi e

Even if we wake from this dream, we have no choice  
But to keep running alone toward the next unseen dream.  
Even though we are lost, this gravity created between us will  
One day pull me  
Back to you.

Sabishi sa ni nagasaretari  
Uso wo uso de kakushitari  
Nandomo machigaeta no ni  
Mata "Saigo no koi" wo shite

Floating in loneliness;  
Lies hidden within lies;  
No matter how many times I've been mistaken,  
This is the "last time I'll fall in love."

Miakita hazu no tasogare ga  
Konna ni kirei dato naita

This twilight we should have grown tired of seeing  
Is still so beautiful that it makes me cry.

GOORU no tsumori de  
RISETTO BOTAN ni tobikonde  
Bokura wa guruguru onaji basho wo mawatterunda  
Ikioi makase de itsuka wa kinou no inryoku wo  
Koeru  
Kimi to

With this goal in mind,  
I press the reset button.  
We just keep going around in the same place.  
With this great responsibility, someday the gravity from yesterday  
Will pass over  
With you.

Boku wa kimi ni deau

I will meet you.

Yume kara samete mo  
Bokura wa yume wo noritsui de  
Mada minu dareka ni korizu ni  
Kono te wo nobasunda  
Tari nai kokoro to karada ga ai wo sagasu inryoku ga  
Todoku  
Kimi ni

Even if we wake from this dream,  
We are still connecting our other dreams.  
Still without being seen by anyone and without learning,  
I am extending my hand.  
The gravity of my heart and body which seek more love  
Will reach  
you.

Yume kara samete mo  
Kono te wo nobasu yo

Even if we wake from this dream,  
I will extend my hand...

**Prologue: Epitaph of Twilight**

_ "Yet to return, the shadowed one._

_Who quests for the Twilight Dragon_

_Rumbles the Dark Hearth,_

_And Helba, Queen of the Dark,_

_has raised finally her army._

_Apeiron, King of Light beckons._

_At the base of the rainbow do they meet_

_Against the abominable Wave,_

_together they fight._

_Alba's lake boils._

_Light's great tree doth fall._

_Power- now all to droplets turned_

_in the temple of Arche Koeln._

_Returns to nothing,_

_this world of shadowless ones._

_Never to return, the shadowed one,_

_Who quests for the Twilight Dragon."_

"Epitaph of the Twilight" - Emma Wielant

**Arc 1: Infection**

**Chapter 1: The Girl in White**

(Tokyo 2013)

_"The World has been successfully installed."_

Zoey Hanson smiled as she saws the pop up screen on her ALTIMIT computer. "Finally, it's done."

The girl looked at the box where the game originated; it was aptly called "The World."

But where, pray tell, did Zoey discover this in the first place? Let's flash back to the day she first heard of… well, "The World."

(Flashback, 2 days ago…)

Zoey and Bridget were walking down Shinjuku Gyoen home. Bridget turned to her friend with a smile and asked "Hey Zoey? Did you hear the news about the latest new thing?" She stated cheerfully.

"No… What?" Zoey asked her friend and fellow Mew Mew.

"The World." Bridget replied flatly. Gee, what a shock.

"You mean Earth? Yeah, it's beautiful in our world." Zoey has a bored dot-eyed smile on her face… She's a bit air-headed.

Bridget giggled and corrected her. "No, silly; The World! I mean the MMORPG. They said The World was deemed popular after that Pluto's Kiss incident. I heard it's up to 20 million copies."

Zoey gasped in utter amazement. "Whoa! That must be a really popular game!"

"Yes. I'm thinking of playing that game, seeing how popular it is. What about you, Zoey?" Bridget smiled at her friend.

"Hmm…" Zoey puts her pinky on her chin and 10 seconds later, she smiled and replied

"Okay. I'll try it."

"Great! I'll meet you on The World!" Bridget gleamed, and the two went their separate ways.

(Present Day)

"Ok. Now that installation is complete, let's make my character." Zoey clicked through the startup menus and saw the class selection menu. She eyed the six possible classes: Twin Blade, Heavy Blade, Blademaster, Wavemaster, Long Arm, and Heavy Axeman.

"Hmm… I seen Mark uses kendo, so I will go with Blademaster." Zoey smiled as she selected Blademaster. She created her character, which ended up looking like her real world self; her avatar wore pink clothes with standard symbols, blue shorts with runic symbols, brown boots with buckles, and a silver blade with a red handle. She entered her name (her real world name) and clicked OK.

Another pop up. "Character creation complete. Welcome to 'The World.'"

"Awesome." Zoey grinned as she stared at a headset that rather resembles the ones from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is called a Face-mounted display, or FMD, and this set is called Neuro Goggles. She placed the Neuro Goggles on her head, picked up her controller, and selected The World from her desktop.

The girl appeared in Delta Root Town. She looked around in awe. "Amazing… I feel like I'm in the game!" Zoey looked at her virtual world body.

"Hey! You made it, Zoey!"

She spots a girl who looked like Bridget (clearly also based on her real world form), who wore a green robe, a beret with a green jewel on the top, purple gloves, green pants with strange symbols, and white shoes… oh, and she also had a gold wand! It's Bridget… as a Wavemaster.

"So, what do you think?" Bridget smiled warmly at her, hoping to achieve a response from her longtime friend.

"It's sooo cool! It feels like we're inside the game!" Zoey laughed cheerfully.

"That's because CC Corp has made it possible for virtual reality games. Since you're a Blademaster, and I am a Wavemaster, let's use the Chaos Gate to go to Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field. It's a good place for beginners like us." Bridget suggested.

"Sounds good, Bridget. Le-" Zoey nodded, but Bridget held a hand in the air, interrupting her.

"Please, call me Bridge in The World." Bridget closed her eyes and smiled. After using the Chaos Gate to type in the keywords, they warped to Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field.

_2 minutes later._

"Hiyaaaaaa!" Zoey slams her blade down on the final Goblin, killing it. She gains 50 EXP, as did Bridge.

"Whew! Feels good fighting monsters in a MMORPG!" Zoey virtually wiped some virtual sweat from her virtual forehead.

"The real fun is the dungeon where a Goti Statue is; if we get to that, we can get a rare item! Ready?" Bridge asked cheerfully.

"Of course!" Zoey grinned as the two friends entered the dungeon.

…

Upon reaching the second room, Bridge stopped her friend. "What's up?" Zoey asked her friend in concern. Both eyes narrowed to the hallway. Suddenly, a girl with white hair, and wearing a white robe, was being chased by something with a red wand! It had horns and looked like it was made of stone. However, there was something… odd about this girl: she had no legs and was floating on her own.

"W-Wha… What was that?!" Zoey's eyes widened in shock.

"I don't know… I've never seen a player like that before…" Bridge was also in disbelief.

"Well, what about that thing with the red wand? Is it a monster?" Zoey asked Bridge in confusion.

"I have never seen a monster like that. Maybe CC Corp created that monster for entertainment." Bridge guessed, still not enjoying the thoughts that plagued her mind.

"Well, let's not worry about it for now. Let's find some treasure." she reassured her friend. Bridge nodded as they pressed on.

After activating all magic portals and defeating the monsters, they made it to the end and saw a floating statue with a yellow symbolic ring around it. "There's the Goti Statue." Bridge whispered. Zoey nodded to her friend as she walked up to the treasure chest and opened it. She got a Brave Sword, and 2 Yellow Candies.

"Sweet!" Zoey smiled as she equipped her new weapon. "But… I feel bad for those who might come here for the rare items…" Zoey looked down shamefully.

"Don't worry Zoey. The Goti Statue will reset after we exited the dungeon… Oh, I forgot to get a Sprite Ocarina… But that's okay. We defeated all the monsters, so we can get out and Gate Out." Bridge smiled. Zoey nodded with a smile as the two of them left the room.

However, just as they were about to leave the dungeon, a rumbling occurred and the screen fizzed for a moment.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Zoey gasped, regaining her footing.

Then, the dungeon disappeared, and Zoey and Bridge found themselves in an eerie-like battleground with many strange… er, things.

"Where are we?" Bridge wondered. Suddenly, the Girl in White appeared in front of the two. "Who… are you?" she asked as she walked up to the Mysterious Girl.

The Girl in White smiled sadly, and she somehow caused a book with a strange symbol on it to appear out of thin air. "Take this…" she solemnly stated.

"Huh?" Bridge asked in confusion as the book floated towards her. The mysterious woman looked at her with concern in her beady eyes.

"Please take this, there's no time. Please!" The Girl in White pleaded as Bridge grabbed the book.

Zoey walked up to the stranger and asked "What's this?"

"A great force… The power it holds can bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user…" The Girl in White stated calmly. The screen showed a little bit of static. "It's coming!" The girl's eyes narrowed; she's serious now! Without much fanfare, she vanished.

Suddenly, a rainbow data-like portal appeared in the back and the two friends turned to see the monster with the red wand appear. "We…We can't handle a monster with a high level like that!" Bridge panicked.

"Yeah, but look at its HP!" her friend gasped. The HP bar indeed looked like it was endless.

"Run!" Bridge screamed as they made a run for it. The monster with the red wand cast a spell and hit Bridge. She screamed in agony as data appeared around her.

"Bridge!" Zoey gasped in horror. Then the monster used his red wand to hold Bridge as if she was cruxified… and then, the monster's left arm clearly displayed its mysterious green data-like bracelet, firing it at Bridge; she screamed in agony as she fell to the ground.

"Nooooooooooooooo!" Zoey screamed as she rushed towards her friend's aid. Even though her data-like manifestation was fading away, she still brought a smile to the canvas of her downed friend's face.

"I'm… sorry… Zoey… I… only wanted… to have fun… with you…" Bridge said weakly. As she disappeared, the book she got from the Girl in White flew up into the air and disappeared… it seemed.

Zoey stammered, as the monster was about to use its bracelet to do the same thing to her, but then, a white fork like staff crashed into the ground and the monster was interrupted as Zoey groaned as she gated out.

The blackout screen appeared and the red words SYSTEM ERROR appeared for a moment.

Zoey's avatar's unconscious body remained on the floor as the book the Girl in White gave to Bridge hovered down and went into Zoey's body.

All the while, a mysterious woman in revealing white clothing, dunce headwear similar to a priest's cap that covers her eyes, and holding a weird white wand, watched the process unfold….

(The Next Day)

Zoey learned that Bridget was hospitalized, and now in a coma. Doctors were still determining the source of the reason she was comatose… But… what happened? Did that monster with the red wand do this? And who is that girl in white who gave Bridget that strange book? These are the questions.

Zoey decided not to visit Bridget, figuring it was for the best while she was in her weak state. But… how did Bridget get into a coma? Maybe, just maybe… The answers lie in The World?

Zoey needs to find out what's going on… and save her friend!

**To be continued…**

Ending theme: Gentle Dawn from Dot Hack Sign

eien sagasu kimi wa utsurigi na yumemibito  
uwaki na yume ni sugari anata wa doko e yuku

You, who seek eternity, are a capricious dreamer  
As you cling to a fickle dream, to where shall you go?

tasogare hiraku kagi wo sagashite tsuki no kage  
todokanai mama naita watashi wa doko e yuku

I, who wept because I sought the key to open twilight  
But could not reach the moonlight-to where shall I go?

futari hitomi ni himitsu nakushite mo  
kasaneta ude wo hodoki wa shinai wa

Even if the two of us lose our secrets in the other's eyes,  
We won't unclasp our layered arms

ichigatsu no aoi tsuki asayake kakushite yo  
owaru hazu no nai yoru ni yasashii yoake

Pale moon of January, hide the morning glow  
To a night that should have no end will come a gentle dawn

chikadzuku hodo ni itamu koi no omosa no sei de  
hanaresugiteta mune wo jiyuu to yondeita

Because of the weight of love, which hurts the closer one gets,  
When our chests were separated too far, I called it freedom

kurai basho ni dake hikarumono ga aru to  
chiisa na mado no tooku mitsumeteta

Saying, "Only in dark places are there things that shine,"  
I gazed into the distance from my tiny window

ichigatsu no aoi tsuki doko made ochite yuku  
owaru hazu no nai koi ni yasashii yoake

Pale moon of January, how far will you sink?  
To a love that should have no end will come a gentle dawn

ichigatsu no aoi tsuki asayake kakushite yo  
owaru hazu no nai yoru ni yasashii yoake

Pale moon of January, hide the morning glow  
To a night that should have no end will come a gentle dawn

Next time: Data Drain

**A/N: Next time, Zoey will meet our heroes, Kite and BlackRose and both Zoey and Kite will harness the dangerous powers of Data Drain and join forces to save their friends. Also, Mistral will make a appearance as well and joins the quest. **

**Finally, here is a list of 12 anime to appear in this fic:**

**Inuyasha**

**Akkian**

**Ranma ½**

**Love Hina**

**Green Green**

**Fruits Basket**

**Ai Yori Aoshi**

**Toradora**

**Galaxy Angel (They appeared by Morganna's evil and will be trapped in The World till the end of the story. I will be using their anime versions)**

**Queen's Blade (Same with Galaxy Angel)**

**Koihime Musou (Also with those other two)**

**And finally, Card Captor Sakura**

**So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the first ever Dot Hack x Mew Mew Power crossover! See you soon!**

**Update: Special credit to my new friend from the Nisa forums named Ghost for helping me edit this first chapter. He and I are gonna reedit chapters in both my Dot Hack fanfic and HDN fanfic. So stay tuned for reedited chapters of Dot Hack Mew Mew!**


	2. Data Drain

**A/N: Sorry folks, Mistral will appear next chapter. Anyway, crossovers will start in two chapters with the first three in Arc 1: Inuyasha, Akkian and Ranma 1/2**

**Chapter 2: Data Drain**

Zoey sat on a chair with her elbow resting on a table, looking gloom at Café Mew Mew, wearing her work uniform that was growing quite wrinkly. She could not believe Bridget was in a coma while playing The World. What happened that made her friend fall into such a state? Did that monster with the red wand do this to her by using that strange skill? No matter what the answer was, that thing is going to pay for this!

Renee walked up to Zoey in concern. "What's wrong, Zoey? You are not your usually cheerful self, and I don't hear any complaints, so that means something's really wrong. Are you still worrying about Bridget? I'll listen to everything you say and I'll try to give you advice." She offered coolly.

Zoey looked almost deader than disco, and that's saying a _lot_. "Bridget fell into a coma while playing The World…" she stated sadly, though her face looked blanker than anything else. It certainly was not helping Renee out in the end.

"I-I see. The world's most popular MMORPG made Bridget fall into a coma? Is the game _that _bad?" Renee looked at the ceiling for about 40 seconds until she turned to Zoey and replied with "Why don't you look up The World's board? I'm sure you can find info on why Bridget fell into a coma!"

This perked the Mew's interests. "Hey… you're right!" Zoey looked up with determination. "I'll create a topic on The World's BBS to get some useful info to save Bridget. Thanks Renee!" she hugged her friend.

Renee blushed madly. "Z-Zoey, everyone's watching…" She muttered in embarrassment.

…

After work was finished, Zoey headed home and went to The World's BBS. She thought of a good topic to find out a cure for Bridget's condition, and also info on the Girl in White and the monster with the red wand.

The idea suddenly came to her. "I got it! I'll call it 'Questions.'" Zoey smiled as she created the topic headline. Here is what she wrote, in case you were wondering:

**"My friend fell into a coma because of a monster with a red wand while playing this game. Does this happen to other players too? Also, I saw this monster with a red wand chasing a girl with white hair and matching clothes. Is she an event character? Do the creators of this game know about this? Does anyone else also have a friend who is hospitalized by playing The World? If so, please provide info so I can find a way to save my friend. Thank you."**

"There. Now all I need to do is wait for a reply and-" Zoey was interrupted by a new email. "Hm? I wonder who it's from…" she wondered as she went to open the peculiar message, but to her confusion, it was all garbled up, and the odd thing is, it showed a static picture of the Girl in White. "T-The Girl in White?!" Zoey gasped as she looked into this mystery further. It appeared that the mysterious woman was trying to say something, but unfortunately, the young Mew couldn't make out the words. _Something_ about _someone_ chasing her and she needs help. She also mentioned _something_about a book, but by then, the message was ending.

_'Wait…'_ Zoey thought as she looked at the scrambled message carefully. The word "book" was not scrambled. Does the Girl in White mean the book she gave Bridget? Does Zoey have it now? The young Mew couldn't even make out the Girl in White's true name, but the word "book" was clear as day. Au… something; what is up with this?

_'The only way to solve this mystery is to go into The World…'_ Zoey has a serious look on her face as she puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

She logged in, but she's not the only one, as a boy that looked like he was 14 appeared nearby. He sported blue hair, and came with symbol paintings on his face. He wore forest-green clothes, with a silly forest-green hat perched on top of his awkward head. It was apparent that he wielded two blades, thanks to the twin holsters; he must be a Twin Blade.

Zoey and the Twin Blade stared at each other, wondering what to say, but out of nowhere, a 16-year-old girl who managed to give off the image of pink hair, with numerous symbols on her body. She was dark skinned, and was attired in a revealing set of reddish-violet armor. She wielded a huge sword, and apparently, she was looking for something.

Both Zoey and the Twin Blade couldn't help but stare at the new Heavy Blade as she pranced about, looking for something important. Eventually, she turned her attention to the two players with a frown, and said with attitude: "What? What is it? You two got something to say?"

That certainly took them off guard. "Um…" Zoey and the Twin Blade were speechless for a moment until they replied, in perfect harmony, "No." The Heavy Blade then concluded on who Zoey and the Twin Blade were.

"Oh, I get it now. You're both newbies, aren't you? I might've guessed. Well, are you two newbies or not?" The Heavy Blade asked, her voice indicating her growing impatience. Both Zoey and the Twin Blade were silent. "C'mon now, don't be shy! You can tell me." The girl asked with a frown. Still, the two remained as silent as ever. "Listen, in case you're not aware of it, you two are being very rude. It's impolite to stare at someone like that! You two have to understand that it's the same as the real world! Don't you two get it?!"

"Well, what about you?!" Zoey snapped, her anger getting the best of her. The Heavy Blade growled as she rushed towards town, which happened to be very close by, before stopping to look at the two users.

It was clear that she was growing pissed, and with a strained shout, she said "Last chance… What is up with you two anyway, huh?!" The Heavy Blade snapped. Zoey and the Twin Blade were silent for about 20 seconds. "Come on! Will you two say something already?!" The girl snapped again as she headed straight into town. She walked slowly in order to see if they would finally talk, but in the end, they remained mute, and thus she pranced on into town, never looking back.

Zoey turned to the Twin Blade and bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry you have to go through with this!" she said, feeling so guilty that she allowed that scene to transpire.

The blademan rubbed the back of his head. "I-It's no problem. You're a beginner as well?" he smiled nervously.

"Yeah. Name's Zoey… and you are?" Zoey smiled. At least her nerves were calming down.

"Kite. My name is Kite in The World." The Twin Blade, now identified as Kite, extended his hand to offer a hand shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Kite!" Zoey gladly shook his hand. Then, as though a bell made its lovely tune inside her head, she realized something. "So what brings you to The World?" she asked, trying to be a big sister to this new player.

Kite looked down in sadness for about 10 seconds until he said: "My friend is in a coma… His name is Orca and he fell into that damn thing while playing 'The World'…" Kite explained sadly. This sudden revelation of a similar tale made Zoey gasp in shock.

"That's exactly what happened to my friend Bridge! She's also in a coma because of this game!"

Well, color him surprised, my friend! "R-Really?!" Kite's eyes widened in shock. "I posted a topic on the Board about it; I hope it gets a reply soon." he stated with an expression detailing courage, yet a strange sense of guilt.

Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? "I did the same thing too. I too hope it gets a reply. Looks like you and I share a common goal." Zoey stated seriously.

"Yeah…" Kite nodded in agreement. He was understandably reluctant, given the fact that he just met this person, but after seeing his best friend lapse into an endless sleep, he was willing to trust anyone kind.

"Why don't we exchange member addresses and form a party?" Zoey suggested. She remembers reading about a thing called "clans," so hopefully she could make one.

The boy was in thought, but finally he nodded with a smile. "Good idea! Let's use the Chaos Gate to find a place where we can look for clues." Kite smiled as he and Zoey exchanged member addresses and formed a party. Just as they were about to use the Chaos Gate, however, the Heavy Blade from before stopped them.

"Wait a sec!" she stated, her attitude still present but her expressions far different. The two souls turned to face her.

"Huh?" Zoey and Kite muttered as the Heavy Blade appeared to look annoyed. "Yeah, you two! I, uh… I know some interesting keywords. If you two go with me, I'll tell you what they are. Do you want to know, or not?" she asked with a bored smile.

The two of them looked at one another, contemplating their options. Eventually, after what had to be, oh, I don't know, 20 seconds, they turned to the woman. "Why, of course," Zoey smiled. "Sure."

The girl gave a flashy thumbs-up. "Right on, that's the spirit! Spoken like true newbies. I'm BlackRose by the way." The Heavy Blade, who will now be referred to as BlackRose, introduced herself. The two "newbs" introduced themselves as well, hoping that their names were going to be fondly remembered by the end of the game. Kite and BlackRose exchanged member addresses, adding a third party into their lofty group.

After that action passed, BlackRose turned to them now with a serious look. "The keywords are Delta, Hidden, Forbidden, Holy, and Ground," she stated. Zoey and Kite nodded with each word, writing down whatever they could, just in case these keywords became the most important thing this game had to offer. After adding BlackRose to their party, they ended up using the Chaos Gate to go to the Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground.

The area in question looked like a sanctuary on the outside, surrounded by a dark cliff, which looks like it's a long way down; that's never a good thing. The party appeared just outside this breathtaking monstrosity. BlackRose gasped in shock. "This place is…" She stammered.

"What's up?" Zoey asked new girl. BlackRose looked at her with the surprise still in her eyes, though once she figured that out, she turned away and blushed.

"N-Never mind. Let's go! Well Kite, are you going to escort me like a proper gentleman?" BlackRose placed her hands on her hips. Kite sighed, as did Zoey, knowing that this "veteran" may end up being some trouble. Escorting her in the "proper" manner, the trio entered the mighty and elaborate sanctuary, not knowing what to expect.

When they entered, it was like a church, but with no people. Disturbingly, though, they heard a monster's roar. The group turned towards the origin of the noise, and when they did, well, Zoey's reaction probably described it best. "Eeek!"

"W-What is that thing?!" BlackRose stammered as a black goblin appeared, walking towards the party menacely. "S-Stay back!" she screamed in fear, totally not prepared for a sudden encounter. Luckily, as though he served as her guardian angel, Kite was ready for anything, and managed to slash the goblin with his twin blades. The goblin almost hit Kite with his dagger, but Kite blocked them.

Zoey quickly got over her fear and managed to slash the goblin, defeating it with a fellow swoop. BlackRose saw the defeated goblin and sighed in relief. "So that's it? Pretty weak, huh?" she grinned nervously, "What do you know? You two didn't need my help at all, did ya?"

Zoey sighed, but noticed something up ahead. She went up to it, followed by Kite and BlackRose. They saw a statue of a girl bound by eight chains. "Damn…that statue… it looks so… so sad…" BlackRose said with a depressive ring. Even Kite appeared to be downtrodded by the sudden scene, but to Zoey's shock, it looked identical to the Girl in White.

Kite began to read the inscriptions on the statue. "Skeith, Innis, Magus… I can't read anything else. The inscription is faded." Kite frowned. Hell, even if he could read it, he wouldn't be able to tell what any of the words meant. It was just too vague to his knowledge.

"By the way, uh…" BlackRose twiddled her thumbs nervously.

The group broke their enticement with the statue by staring at the tough girl. "What's up?" Zoey asked BlackRose.

The girl that was being asked looked down to the ground, trying her best to hide that lovely face of hers. "I guess you can tell that I'm a newbie too?" BlackRose sighed in shame. However, against what she thought would happen, Kite gave her a cheerful glance and a mimicking thumb up. "…It must be pretty obvious by the way I acted back there… But you two still hung out with me. You know what? You two are nicer than I thought." She smiled, feeling for the first time the sweet power of friendship.

Zoey couldn't agree more with that sentiment. "Same to you. I thought you were a jerk, but you're really nice. You don't have to look so embarrassed!" the Mew smiled cheerfully.

The apparent-newcomer went through a few emotions, before settling in with happiness. "Why thank you!" BlackRose giggled nervously, elated to see things going her way. She then turned to her newfound friends and started to say "You see, I'm… I'm trying to find-", but she didn't get to finish as the door swung open, and the party saw an 18-year-old man with white hair, a blue bandana covering the majority of it, and wore what a knight in shining armour would wear. Strangely, his most distinct features are his wings. He looked like a Blademaster.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" The Blademaster demanded. It was clear that he meant business, more than BlackRose back when Zoey first logged on.

"What?! What about you, huh?!" the Heavy Blade countered with a frown. She was not ready to fight with a person as rude as he was, though she was admitedly afraid of his powerful-looking weapon.

The man shook his head and looked away. "No time to explain. It's too dangerous here." The Blademaster frowned. Zoey rose an eyebrow. "I'm telling you to get out!" The Blademaster shouted as he rushed towards them with his sword ready.

This action did not settle well with our heroes. "W-What's going on?!" Kite stammered as the screen fazed in whiteness as a portal, similar to the one the "Monster with the Red Wand " came from, appeared out of nowhere, and out fell two Headhunters: monsters with no heads, but with a huge sword and a skull held in their hands. Never a good combination, folks.

"Leave here at once!" The Blademaster ordered as he screamed out his battle cry. He leaped into the air and slashed the Headhunters, supposedly killing them, though he later turned out to be wrong, as the screen started showing static again and the Headhunters got back up, this time covered in green data.

"These ones as well…" The Blademaster gritted his teeth angrily.

No one had any idea who this guy was or what his purpose could have been. "But how?! Tell me what's going on here! Those things should be dead!" BlackRose stammered.

"What's going on?! Why are they glowing like that?!" Zoey demanded.

The man was panting, though his energy was still tremendous. "It's a bug from a computer virus. The virus is rewriting the data. It has HP that is… infinite." The Blademaster explained. The two headhunters growled as they began their trek towards them. "All of you must escape, while I'll buy some time." The warrior issued.

BlackRose now held a look of anger. "This is the one…" she gritted her teeth angrily, "…because of these things…" she soon unleashed her sword, and against the wishes of the man, she charged at the bugged monsters, screaming "I'll freaking kill all of you!"

The man was lost in shock. When did a "newbie" have the energy to do that? "No! You can't kill it! Leave it be or you'll be killed!" The Blademaster shouted as he too rushed towards them.

_'W-What should I do?!_' Zoey stammered within her thoughts. Kite had a look of worry on his face, until suddenly, he and the Mew heard someone's voice.

**_"The books… Open the books…"_ **It was the Girl in White's voice.

_'Who's there?!'_ Zoey and Kite asked in their minds. Could they communicate like this? Only one way to find out!

**_"The power it holds can bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user." _**The Girl in White's voice stated as she disappeared from the inner conscience realm. Zoey and Kite interpreted whatever the hell she was talking about, and quickly got out two books that held the same content.

They opened the books, and at first, they were struggling by its powers, causing them to throw the poor objects in disgust. Yet, strange symbols began to appear on their bodies, and they groaned in agony as if someone was torturing them. Then, their clothes started to change. Kite's clothes were now red and Zoey's clothes were now purple. Bracelets that are the same as the one that the Monster with the Red Wand used appeared on both players' arms, matching their strange, new outfits. They screamed in agony as they fired the bracelets at the bugged monsters, robbing them of their invincibility, the green data around them disappearing as well. Strange ball-shaped objects that held red data appeared where the monsters once were, causing them to automatically accept them in their inventory.

Zoey and Kite stared at their new bracelets in shock as they disappeared from their bodies, though it appeared that they still found a home within them. "That was like the… like the time when Orca…" Kite muttered in shock and mild terror.

Thinking the exact same way, Zoey, too, was filled with wonder. "This is… This is the same power that put Bridge in a coma…" she panted as she looked at where her bracelet disappeared into her body, ready to be called again when she needs it.

The Blademaster managed to kill the two Headhunters with ease. BlackRose fell on her ass and sighed in relief. The man was silent for a moment until he muttered, "Those skills… Now I understand." The Blademaster then stood up with his back turned. "You two are the same as the virus. To think I was saved by someone like you two!" The Blademaster turned to face Zoey and Kite with an angry frown.

Realizing that the atmosphere changed for the worse, the young Mew attempted to protect whatever she could. "You got it all wrong! We don't know what that skill is!" Zoey panicked, raising her hands in defense.

The Blademaster was not having it. "Do _not_ lie to me! Recently, many places within The World have been damaged by a virus… those who willfully spread the virus and destroy this world for their amusement, they… They shall receive no mercy!" The Blademaster pointed his sword at Kite and Zoey who gulped.

"No! That's not us! We…" Kite shook his head in protest to the Blademaster's question.

The man's eyes suddenly grew chaotic; the two heroes better have something up their sleeves! "I did not expect to find the ones responsible so soon…" The Blademaster continued pointing his sword at the two and shouted "Draw! Draw your weapons. Now!"

"We won't!" Zoey protested, stomping her foot on the ground.

"There's no reason to do that!" Kite vouched for the Mew, hoping to everything eternal that nothing bad could occur.

His wishes went unheeded. "There is for me…" The Blademaster spat venomously. He slowly, but almost surely, wandered his way towards them, his face completely filled with the content for bloodshed.

The Mew couldn't believe this was actually happening. "But…But we just want to…" Zoey closed her eyes and gritted her teeth sadly, virtual tears beginning to fall out of her eyes. It looked like it was the end for our poor hero. Will she ever see Bridget awake? Will she ever even _see _her? All these questions for such a horrific moment.

It seems, though, that the Gods smiled down upon them, as BlackRose stood up, and placed her hands on her hips, stomping towards the Blademaster with a scowl, shouting "What is the matter with you?! That's hardly the way to talk to two people who just saved your life!" she snapped.

The Blademaster was silent for a moment, until he sheathed his sword and began to walk away. He was definitely conflicted now. "I still do not trust you two. I just require the time to think this through… But if I find out you two are indeed with them… I will kill you…" The Blademaster stated coldly as he exited.

The mysterious man was heading outside until a voice said: "That was rather childish for Balmung of the Azure Sky, the Descendant of Fianna…." From this information, it was indeed noted that The Blademaster is the legendary player of "The World", Balmung. The legendary man turned to see the mysterious woman who watched the Book of Twilight go into Zoey's avatar's body.

He frowned and replied with: "I do not speak with hackers!" He began to leave, but the woman stopped him by warping out of sight and saying these words:

"That boy… He's a friend of your partner…" The White Hacker snickered. Balmung's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the virtual sky.

"Orca?"

**_Back to the Party…_**

"I thought he would end up like Bridge, and… I panicked… That's when I heard her voice…" Zoey looked at her new duds.

The boy knew he wasn't alone in this. "I heard her voice too… It was the voice of the girl who gave the book to Orca." Kite nodded.

"The Girl in White… She also gave Bridge a book like yours." Zoey looked at Kite in surprise. "Was it a chance meeting?" she continued to wonder.

Their third wheel was only listening. "I see… But what are you two going to do if the Data Bug shows up again?" BlackRose asked in concern, fraught with worry. "That power put your friends… Um… Sorry…" she bowed her head in apology once she saw the bad taste in her wording.

The two others simply nodded in respect. "We don't even know what this power is, or what she wanted Orca to do. And what are we supposed to do with this power?" Kite looked at where his bracelet is.

Zoey grew determined. "I say we use it to help our friends. I'm after a monster that put my friend Bridge into a coma, and with this power, he's going to pay, big time…" she clenched her fist angrily.

Kite stood up, pounding a fist on his chest. "I'm after a monster too. He did to Orca what he did to your friend… I guess we both share a common enemy…" he nodded in agreement.

Still feeling neglected from all this idle chat, Blackrose held both of them around the necks in a makeshift hug. "Then, I'll help as well! But we need to gain levels to find that monster and destroy it with that power." She said with determination. Zoey and Kite nodded with small smiles, meaning they both agreed on one thing.

…

The party headed back to Aqua Capital, Mac Anu. Zoey turned to her new online friends.

"Call us again if you need any help. We're in this together." BlackRose smiled softly.

The boy couldn't agree more. "Yeah. We're a team now, and we need to get stronger to defeat the bastard who put our friends into a coma." Kite said with enthusiasm.

Zoey was glad that even in the virtual world, she still had friends by her side. "Right. I'll see you when I get back." The Mew saluted as they logged out.

Back in the real world, Zoey removed her Neuro Goggles and looked at The World's startup screen. "Oh, there should be a reply on that topic I made!" she said, beginning to check through the board, eventually finding her topic. However, when she opened it, it was deleted!

"What the….? Why is my topic deleted?!" Zoey repeated my words as she stared in shock at what happened. "What's going on here?"

To be continued…

**Next time: The Cat Player and Female Wavemaster**


	3. The Cat Player and Female Wavemaster

**A/N: This chapter will be extra long, I swear. Now, here is the appearance of Mia, Elk, and of course, Mistral. Then after the Piros chapter, which is next chapter, the crossovers will begin with Inuyasha. Kagome will appear in the fifth chapter, but don't worry; Inuyasha and his friends will appear later on, and Naraku will be a side villain in Arc 3. So, here is Chapter Three!**

**Chapter 3: The Cat Player and Female Wavemaster**

That night, Zoey had a nightmare. It was a nightmare of Bridget being put in a coma by the Monster with the Red Wand. Then, the fiendish thing used his bracelet to use the same skill on Zoey.

"No!" the Mew screamed as she woke up and stood up from her bed, panting heavily. She looked around, glad that she was in her room. It's been a day since she received that odd power in "The World"; the same power that put her friend Bridget into a coma. Now, just to put everything on a much more disturbing level, she met a player who also had the same power, and had a friend in a similar situation.

Deciding to stay up a little bit before going to bed, she went to her computer and opened her email, seeing that three new messages were glowing. The first one was from Kite. The subject said "Let's help our friends!" and it said:

**"I don't know what happened today, but this power… the same power we got from those books that was responsible for putting our friends into a coma… Maybe we can use these powers to save them. I will do whatever I can to help you on saving your friend."**

_'That's really nice of Kite…'_ Zoey smiled as she replied with an earnest: "Of course. We're in this together." She then read BlackRose's email next. This apparent message had the title "I believe you two", and it said:

**"I don't really understand it, but I believe both you and Kite. I'm actually really busy, but I'll help you when I have time, so call me up."**

The Mew let out a grin, and she replied with "I'm also busy with everyday life, but we'll get together to help each other out. Glad you stood up for us against that Blademaster." With a click of the mouse, she sent the reply. Before she could leave, however, there was another message, blinking with a high intensity. She selected it, but found it odd that it wasn't from anyone she knew. The name on the virtual mail was "Helba." It was a strange name, and it was even weirder that the email held no subject; just the recipient, and a theme. _'Who's Helba?'_ Zoey wondered as she opened the email.

**"I've seen your powers. You can rewrite the monster's data by performing Data Drain when the OK sign is flashing. If you use it wisely, it will be very valuable in the future. You will need its powers. You can check the spread by a gauge in the Skill Selection Menu. When the spread is 100 percent, there may be a lethal effect on your character, so be aware of the spread of the viral infection. If you defeat monsters without using Data Drain, then the spread will decrease little by little, so do not let it get above 100 percent. And, just another warning… You and the boy are always being watched. Though you and the boy may not wish it, you two will be the eye of the storm in The World… That is the fate of those who bears the bracelets… You must use their powers if you and the boy wish to save your friends…"**

Zoey blinked. How does Helba know about the bracelet? Just who is Helba anyway? She yawned as she shut down her computer and went back to sleep, trying her best not to overdue her thinking until the next morning.

…

Zoey was in her homeroom after school was over; everyone else was getting ready to leave, leaving the Mew to her thoughts. It was then that Molly and Mimi, Zoey's first friends since forever, walked up to their friend's desk. "Yo, Zoey! What's up?" Molly asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're not your usual cheerful self today. Care to explain to us what's going on?" Mimi asked with a smile.

The two waited for a long time for that awaited answer, but all the Mew did was "…" Still, after waiting for what had to have been an hour, Zoey turned to her friends and stated; "Last night, I got an email from someone named Helba." Her voice was shaky, and it was clear that the name worried her throughout the night. She didn't expect any answer from her friends, but they did always surprise her in the end.

Molly and Mimi gasped in shock. "I know her! She's that notorious hacker wanted everywhere in the world!" Molly said.

Boy, that escalated quickly."You know who Helba is?" Zoey blinked as she looked at her friends oddly.

The two girls looked like they were losing their minds. "Y-Yeah! Everyone in the entire world knows who she is! She's wanted for hacking into top-secret websites and destroying important data by one touch of a button. Every military on the planet is looking for her, so they can bring her to justice!" Mimi nodded.

Molly was seriously on the verge of collapsing. "Zoey, whatever you do… Delete Helba's message before she gets a chance to hack you!... Wait a minute, why did Helba send you an email? She doesn't even know you…" the young girl blinked, realizing that strange question.

The Mew shook her head. "I-I... I don't know either." she shrugged.

From the corner of the Mew's eye, Mimi was attempted to keep her cool by passing it off. "Well, I'm sure she's just giving you a bluff. Heck, we don't even know if it's her! Don't worry about it… Anyway, I heard from your pals at Café Mew Mew that you're playing the hottest MMORPG in the world, 'The World!'" the student smiled.

"Yeah! I heard it's all the rage now. So, how was it?" Molly grinned, excited that she finally met an actual player. Who would've thought that it was her own friend? Such a small world, eh? I kid, I kid…

However, the Mew gave an answer without a single trace of enthusiasm. "It was okay. I'm getting used to it. I'm almost to level 2 in the game." Zoey smiled meekly.

"Oh, I wish Mimi and I could join you!" Molly squealed, clapping her hands in delight.

"Yeah! It will be fun!" Mimi nodded with a smile.

Zoey enjoyed the smiles of her friends, but unfortunately, time was catching up to her. "I gotta go. Sorry that I have to go so soon! See you two later!" Zoey smiled softly as she stood up.

"See ya!" Molly and Mimi said their good byes as the Mew finally left school.

…

Now at work, Zoey was busy cleaning the tables, still trying to shake off that terrible feeling in the back of her mind. She overheard her friends and fellow Mew Mews talking. "Poor Bridget… I wonder what happened." Corina looked down in sadness. The leader of the Mew brigade was surprised; Corina, sad?! Surely, you jest!

Of course, Corina was not the only one saddened by all this. "I miss her already…" Kikki sniffled, the other Mews attempting to keep her calm.

"The doctor said the reason for her coma is still being determined. We just have to wait and see." Renee said without a moment's hesitation as she folded her arms. Zoey watched as they attempted to reconcile, her own emotions beginning to take the best of her.

"You look troubled, Zoey… Something up?" A voice asked from behind. Zoey yelped as she turned around and saw Elliot looking straight at her bode, almost right through her.

This sudden appearance from the gent of her dreams made her feel quite embarrassed. "Oh! Um… I-It's nothing. Sorry about that. I'll get back to work." Zoey resumed what she was doing.

The boy was confused with this strange antic, though he still decided to play it smooth. "Hmm…" Elliot scratched his chin in thought.

…

A few hours later, Zoey and her friends went home. The Mew entered her house and went into her room, glad that her boring day had finally concluded. With Bridget gone for what might be an entire lifetime, the young lass found that her days were just void of any entertainment; she hoped that this feeling could eventually die out, but for now, she was stuck in a perpetual limbo.

She soon started up her computer, where she received a new email from Kite. The subject said "Helba," and it read:

**"Zoey, I got an email from someone named Helba and she knows about our bracelets! Did she send you an email as well?"**

_'She also sent Kite an email…'_ Zoey thought to herself as she replied with; "Yeah. I heard from my friends at school that she's a well-known criminal, and the authorities of the world are looking for her. I don't know if she's a friend of the enemy yet… Meet me at The World?" She sent the reply. 20 seconds later (exact), she got a reply from Kite saying he will meet her at The World. With that basic command being issued, the Mew sighed, and placed her Neuro Goggles on her head, thus causing her to be logged into The World.

…

Zoey appeared in Mac Anu and waited for Kite to show up. 30 seconds later, he did just that.

"Zoey, over here!" Kite waved cheerfully once his pixels materialized. The Mew smiled as she ran up to him, eager to hopefully stop the lunatic that disturbed both of their friends.

However, it was quite evident that neither truly devised a plan. "So… What should we do now? If we post a topic on the Board about Helba, it will get deleted like my topic on Bridge's coma." Zoey wondered.

"The same thing happened to me when I posted a topic about Orca's coma as well. I wonder what's going on here…" Kite wondered as he scratched his chin in thought. Suddenly, they overheard two players chatting.

"I saw a strange character in the alley. It looked like a cat. Is it possible to edit a character like a freaking feline?" A Heavy Axeman named Edajima asked his friend.

The other user looked baffled, though it was hard to tell with _this _resolution. "A cat? Oh yeah, I saw it too. I prefer bunny girls though." A Blademaster who wore knight clothes named Sieg asked pervertedly. Zoey was disgusted at that player's choice for women, but the cat player got her intrigued.

"Kite, did you hear that? A cat player!" she asked him. It sounded so silly to actually say aloud, but then again, anything pertaining to cats was usually funny; it was also comical that they were Me-Okay, I'll stop now. Anyways, the boy nodded, though he didn't fully understand the significance yet. "They said the cat player can be found at the alley. Let's go check it out." Zoey finished off as the two of them headed towards the alley

As they were walking down the alley, there was a tall purple cat-like humanoid, with long rabbit-like ears and a long tail. She was covered in bushy purple fur, green armor, and had no wave symbols whatsoever. Strangely, she was the most unique specimen ever encountered in this game.

Next to her is a boy about 13-years-old of age. He seemed to have blue hair, and was wearing dark-blue robes with a silly dark-blue hat, coupled with some gloves and a wand with a blue jewel on top. He was the first to say something. "Hey…" The boy said cheerfully. "I found a great area that's full of Aromatic Grass. Wanna go?"

The cat player turned to the Wavemaster with a smile and replied; "Yeah. Sure."

The boy looked very cheerful. "OK, let's get ready then!" It looked like the date of a lifetime. Suddenly, though, the cat player's ears perked up, as if she sensed something. She ran off, apparently into Kite and Zoey's direction. "Ah, Mia?" The Wavemaster gasped as he too followed.

"Excuse me, you two!" The cat player (now known as Mia) asked as she rushed up to them. Kite and Zoey stopped and looked at Mia approaching them. "You two. Yes, you two!" the girl yelled as she looked at our duo's arms. The Wavemaster caught up with his friend, panting heavily as the cat smiled and replied with; "Those are unique bracelets!" Our heroes had their eyes widened in shock.

"Can I take a look at them?" Mia asked, and without warning, grabbed both Kite and Zoey's arms. The Wavemaster looked at what was going on, unsure of how to react to this scene.

The Mew was both frightened and a tad bit curious over this bizarre character. "Can you see them?" Zoey asked Mia.

The cat looked at her with the most energetic eyes a person could ask for. "Yes, of course! Do you two mean to say you cannot see these nice bracelets?" she smirked, taking the biggest look possible. "Even if you two can't see them, as long as you two know they're there, it's the same thing as seeing them, right?" Kite and Zoey's bracelets glowed as they suddenly came into view.

The boy the girl was with couldn't tell what the commotion was about. "Bracelets? Hey, what are you talking about? I can't see any bracelet, Mia." The Wavemaster blinked.

The cat girl walked slowly away before turning her head to face the dup. With a smirk, she replied with; "Well thanks a lot for letting me see your bracelets. I have a feeling that we're going to meet again… somehow… Well, see you around…" Mia smiled eerily as she left. The Wavemaster followed the girl a bit before giving Kite and Zoey a little glare, but by then, he realized the cat was walking away. "Wait, Mia! What about the Aromatic Grass?!"

Well, that certainly was an interesting scene. "Who was that woman? She knows where our bracelets are. Man, that's creepy," Zoey blinked with both amazement and sheer horror.

Kite had no idea what to think. "I dunno, but let's not worry about it for now." He turned to Zoey with a smile and asked; "Wanna go into a dungeon?"

"You bet!" the Mew nodded as they went to the Chaos Gate. Kite entered keywords for low-level characters like him and his partner, and soon they were whisked to an area for beginners; a level two area. Oh, I can feel the tension brewing…

10 minutes later, Kite and Zoey were in a dungeon near a magic portal. Before they activated it, they decided to have a little chat. Let's listen in, shall we?

"So… Zoey, how old are you? And what school do you go to?" Kite asked her politely.

It was a question that perverts normally asked to little girls, but for this case, Zoey knew that the boy was her age, so why not tell him? "I'm 14 years old, and I go to Shion Junior-and-Senior High School, so basically, I'm in 8th grade." She stated with a smile.

The boy looked pleasantly shocked. "You're the same age as me. I'm 14 years old too, and in my second year of junior high at Musashi Junior-and-Senior High School." Kite grinned.

That was some interesting information, "I also was once into gymnastics, and I have a part time job at Café Mew Mew," Zoey tried to say, though it seemed that their comparisons had to be stopped short, as the boy had a look of determination, forcing her to be quiet. Oh well, I suppose. They ran up to a magic portal, which soon revealed two Swordmanoids at they charged at the two players.

Zoey blocked a blow from the first Swordmanoid and slashed it. "I have friends both at school and at work. One of them is world famous. Hiya!" she tried to keep the conversation going; might as well have fun when grinding becomes pivotal! She slashed the first Swordmanoid again, and kicked it in the chest.

Kite blocked blows from the second Swordmanoid and used his twin swords to hit it. "Really?! That's so cool! Ha!" he responded as he himself slashed the second Swordmanoid to death.

So, for the sanctimony of time, Kite and Zoey cleared the dungeon of magic portals, and managed to level up to 5 since the monsters here have good EXP for beginners; the boy even got some rare equipment and treasure from the Gott statue. After that, the two returned to Mac Anu.

"Man! What a workout!" Zoey yawned, glad that the fighting had ceased.

"Yeah. It was fun. And we managed to grind to level 5." Kite nodded.

With that, the time to log-off finally came. "So I'll see you later, and I'll contact you again if I need help." Zoey smiled, waving to her new friend.

Kite saluted her, and did a strange form of bow, most likely an emote from this particular game. "Yeah! See you soon!" he waved as they both logged out and stopped for the day.

**_That night…_**

Zoey was turning and moaning in her sleep. In her dreams, she can see the Girl in White. "Zoey… Zoey… You must use the power of the bracelet to help Kite and a girl in the real world, but a boy in The World named Tsukasa saved both the real world and The World from Her evil…" The Girl in White pleaded. Zoey (in avatar form) and the Girl in White were in a field of flowers.

The info she was giving was not helping the Mew. "W-What are you talking about?" Zoey stammered.

The Girl in White looked as though she was about to cry. "She is about to destroy your world, and three well-known anime realms to fulfill her selfish gains." The mysterious lady showed three groups in shadows.

This still did not bring the Mew to ease. "I don't understand… Why did you gave me and Kite the bracelets?" Zoey was confused. The Girl in White said nothing as she faded away. "W-Wait!" She tried to stop her, but was too late. The three shadowed groups disappeared, and the sky turned dark and the flowers began to wither.

"W-What's going on?" Zoey stammered, before the Monster with the Red Wand appeared. The Mew screamed as the Monster with the Red Wand summoned his bracelet, preparing for an all-out battle scene.

Luckily, something happened. Zoey quickly found her courage, unsheathed her sword, and slashed the Monster with the Red Wand, interrupting his bracelet. She and the monsterous beast began an epic clash that lasted for about 10 minutes, until finally the Mew slashed the Monster, causing data to appear around it. She activated her bracelet and glared at the beast with pure hatred. "This is for Bridge!" She screamed as she fired, though as soon as the good part came, the dream ended.

Zoey awoke, stood straight up and yawned. She turned off her alarm and stared at the ceiling. _'The Girl in White was in my dreams… What was she trying to say? Who is this "Her" she's talking about…?'_ She then realized the time. She panicked. "Oh no! I'm going to be late!" She shouted in worry as she rushed to get herself ready for the day ahead.

…

Almost half the day was spent at school and work. Soon, she arrived back home and turned on her computer, where it seems she got an email from Kite. The subject said "Look at the Board," and it read:

**"Zoey, look at the Board in The World. I think we have some useful info. I'll meet you at The World."**

_'Maybe there is something we can use as a clue?'_ Zoey thought as she placed her Neuro Goggles on and selected The World, proceeding then into the Board. She found a topic called "Girl" by a player named TAO (_wow, this is good! Meow~)_,and it read:

**"I saw a strange character in the dungeon of: Delta Expansive Haunted Sea of Sand. It was a little girl with long hair, but it didn't look like another player. She was somewhat white… like a ghost, and moved without a sound. Oh, and the music might have stopped too! I could be mistaken, but if anyone sees her, please tell me!"**

Zoey gasped. _'The Girl in White!'_ Then, Zoey realized another topic about a place that is inaccessible. Delta Closed Oblivious Twin Hills. It looked suspicious, but she will look into that later. She also discovered a place for beginners called Discovered Primitive Touchstone. Ready to get it on, she logged into The World.

…

Zoey logged in and saw Kite waiting for her. "You read the topic?" Kite asked her.

She nodded and replied; "The Girl in White was spotted in Delta Expansive Haunted Sea of Sand. Let's go there so we can ask her questions."

However, before any action could be made, a familiar voiced echoed towards them. "Hey! You're not thinking of going there without me, right?!" the duo turned to see BlackRose running up to them.

Both of the current teammates nodded to her. "BlackRose, did you read the post about the Girl in White?" Kite asked her.

BlackRose gave them both a thumbs up. "Yeah. Zoey's looking for her, right? This is a good chance to go together. So let's go, okay? I've reached level 5 yesterday." she smiled.

The girl caused the duo to smile. "Good idea. Let's form a party." Zoey smiled. Their party was thusly formed, and they went to Delta Expansive Haunted Sea of Sand.

When they appeared, they saw another player and what appeared to be something odd… The sky looked like it was missing pieces, with green computer data in its place. The player said he was asked to come back later when it was fixed, but the party pressed on and entered the nearby dungeon.

They saw an Administrator at the entrance. "Thank you for playing The World. This area is currently unstable and not functioning properly due to corrupted data configurations. Please return to the field immediately and enter the Gate out to the town." The administrator ordered. However, the party ignored him and went forward.

The party was walking down the path to the next floor. "Something's wrong… What happened to this place? I can see 1s and 0s on the ground, and did you look at the sky?!" BlackRose whimpered.

The party had to admit that the whole thing looked disturbing. "The administrator said it was not functioning properly, but I wonder why?" Kite remembered.

"And did you guys hear that eerie music? Talk about creepy!" Zoey pointed out.

Once she pointed that out, everyone jumped a foot in the air. "L-Let's not let that shoo us away. Come on." Kite stated bravery. The two girls nodded as they pressed forward.

Eventually, after fighting many monsters, they made it to the end where they saw purple mist coming out of a room entrance. The party nodded to each other and went in. They saw a magic portal, and when they got near it, it was a Data Bug Headhunter.

"I-It's the Data Bug!" BlackRose shouted, preparing to fight, looking much more heroic than last time.

"Everyone! Let's fight till it is okay for me and Zoey to use our bracelets!" Kite ordered.

"Roger!" Zoey and BlackRose nodded as they charged at the Data Bug.

The female Heavy Blade started by slashing the Data Bug three times with her sword, before the Data Bug used its sword to knock BlackRose away. Zoey retaliated by leaping in and slashing the beast four times, dodging swipes from it.

Kite rushed in, slashed it with his small twin swords, and was still hit by the Data Bug's punch, knocking him into a wall. He slowly recovered though, and rushed at the Data Bug again, shouting "Tiger Claws!" He spins like a tornado, my friends, hitting the Data Bug for medium damage.

"Calamity!" BlackRose shouted as she leapt into the air, slamming her blade on the Data Bug, giving it heavy damage despite her being low leveled.

"Crack Beat!" Zoey slammed her sword on the ground, resulting in an earthquake that hit the Data Bug for large damage.

The Data Bug roared as it spewed out a fiery breath that hit the party for medium damage. They quickly used recovery items and were back in the fray.

The Data Bug slammed his blade at the party, but luckily, they dodged it. BlackRose rushed in and slashed the Data Bug three times with her sword. Kite and Zoey double teamed on the Data Bug and gave it large amounts of damage.

BlackRose yelled out her battle cry as she slashed it three times with her sword. Zoey followed afterward and slashed the Data Bug five times with her own weapon, making the monster bellow in pain. The words "Protect Break" appeared as data swirls appeared around the Data Bug for a while before disappearing, meaning it was now OK to use Data Drain. "Kite! Now!" Zoey shouted. Kite nodded and activated his bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" He fired the bracelet, robbing the Headhunter of its Data Bug powers and he gained another virus core.

With the monster practically defeated, everyone prepared for the huge offensive. "Now! Let's attack it together!" Kite shouted as the party teamed up and managed to defeat the Headhunter, earning a good amount of EXP.

With that finally concluded, the party sighed in relief. "We did it… We beat our first or second Data Bug…" BlackRose panted with a smile, virtual sweat falling down on her cheek.

Some, however, were not as enthusiastic. "But the Girl in White is not here…" Zoey looked down.

Somewhere, though, was a voice calling in the wind. "Woooooow! Cooooolll!" A childish voice exclaimed excitedly. Confused, the party turned around to see a female Wavemaster looking at them in awe.

The Wavemaster had short pink hair, red eyes, and a distinctive cat tooth. She wore heavy Wavemaster robes that were white and light blue. Each side of her hat attached to yellow/gold ribbons that flowed down to her ankles on both sides. She had a similar-looking ribbon tied around her waist, and to complete the image, she had a fine looking wand.

"I can't believe you guys defeated the monster by rewriting its data! How did you guys do that?!" the Wavemaster asked energetically.

Uh oh, that doesn't sound right. "You saw?!" BlackRose gawked. Zoey was trying to think up an excuse until the Wavemaster spoke.

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve? Should I keep my mouth shut?" The Wavemaster looked at them innocently before continuing. "I came because I read a post about a girl in white in this area on the Board, and it sounded interesting. However, this place looks so weird. Even if the data is corrupted, it's too weird." The female Wavemaster looked around in awe before turning to the party and saying; "Well anyway, it seems strange things have been happening everywhere in The World. Ever since the server failure, it's all going downhill. There's something going on! I'm Mistral, by the way. Nice to meet you!" she smiled cheerfully.

"S-Same here…" BlackRose smiled nervously. At least this new person was friendly, and not a creature bound for their flesh.

Mistral then noticed something in the real world. "What?! Oooohhh God damn it!" she stomped her feet angrily. The party raised an eyebrow before the wavemaster looked at them with anime teary eyes and muttered, "I burned dinner…" her mood turned a full 360 degrees with a cheerful smile and stated; "Oh well, gotta go. Before I go, let's exchange member addresses so we can travel again sometime, 'kay?"

The party was frightened at first, and had no idea on what to do. This was a new person, and so far, they have no idea-oh, they're already exchanging member cards. Okay, whatever floats their boat. "See ya!" Mistral waved cheerfully as she logged out.

After that strange tirade of strangeness, the party was left even more puzzled. "What a weird player…" BlackRose muttered.

However, Kite brought up a good point. "But she knows we can overwrite data, and she's also a Wavemaster. We can use her," he smiled nervously.

The other two agreed, though they had no idea what that certain girl could actually do. "Right now, let's head back to town." Zoey suggested. The others nodded without a second thought, as they used a Sprite Ocarina to escape.

**To be continued…**

**Next time: He of Fair Eyes**

**A/N: Next chapter will be Piros' appearance. Love him or hate him, your choice, but after his chapter, it's time for the crossovers to begin. So stay tuned!**


	4. He of Fair Eyes

**A/N: People of fair eyes, Chapter 4 has been created! Sorry, couldn't resist. Here is Chapter 4 with that lovable or hated player in the Dot Hack 4 part game series, Piros!**

**Chapter 4: He of Fair Eyes**

The party warped back in Mac Anu, though once they did, they noticed a Heavy Axeman looking at them with a friendly smile and determination in his eyes.

His armor was completely light green except for his left shoulder, which was red with spikes all around, and it seemed his armor haf the design of a face; quite the spectacle to behold. He wielded an axe, and his face was completely visible, in case you had to know.

"He of fair eyes, girl of destiny, and pink haired sidekick," He stated like a heroic knight. Strangely, this was not what our heroes thought was going to be said.

"H-He of fair eyes?" Kite raised an eyebrow.

"Girl of destiny?" Zoey looked at the Heavy Axeman oddly.

"P-Pink haired sidekick?!" BlackRose's left eye twitched angrily.

The man laughed whimsically, feeling quite proud with himself. "I trust your personalities. I have a favor to ask, if you don't mind? A player I know is being harassed by a wicked monster in Delta Indiscreet Gluttonous Pilgrimage. I, Piros, will vanquish the wicked monster, and all of you will bear witness. You three will do that for me?" the strange, lofty gent asked excitedly.

"Um… Sure."

"O-OK…"

"F-Fine, whatever…"

The party responded rather reluctantly. It sounded nice, but what would they get from it, and why_should _they to begin with?

Still, the man paid no heed to their hesitation. "You will?! Ha ha, I knew you would say that! Oh grand! Ah ha ha ha!" Piros laughed triumphly. For some reason, his smirk gave our party a feeling of ill-will, though it was probably just that: a feeling. "I will be waiting for you three at Delta Indiscreet Gluttonous Pilgrimage. This will be good."

The man eventually left, guffawing all the way towards his destination, looking as though he had no care in the world. "Why the hell are we helping this weirdo?!" BlackRose turned to her friends with an angry glare.

They understood her anger, but they understood that being a good samaritan was much better. "Well, we can't ignore his request. It would be downright rude." Zoey stated.

"Ughhhh!" BlackRose raised her arms in frustration. "You two are too nice, you know that?!" She muttered in annoyance, going over to the corner of their current location in order to sulk to herself. It was childish, but our heroes couldn't help but feel guilty.

Still, they had a job to do, and if there was one thing they were all good at in this world, it was completing a task. "Come on, let's go help Piros." Kite laughed. With that, the party warped to the Delta Indiscreet Gluttonous Pilgrimage.

…

Delta Indiscreet Gluttonous Pilgrimage was a hot desert. The party appeared and looked around. "The dungeon Piros went to is around here somewhere." Zoey stated as she looked around. It was indeed difficult to see through this odd landscape, and even after running across what had to have been multiple dungeon entrances, there just didn't seem to be the _right _one.

Finally, after what had to be close to an hour, BlackRose spotted the dungeon. "I see it! Let's get this over with…" BlackRose muttered dryly, walking like a zombie towards the ancient opening. Kite and Zoey looked at each other nervously as the three of them entered the dungeon.

It was an old ruin-like dungeon, one that was made probably for the worship of some Goddess, though the game's backstory didn't go that far back. Kite and his party searched for Piros and the player, but they were nowhere to be found. "I don't see them. Maybe they're deep into the dungeon?" Zoey guessed.

It seems that with a grunt, one of our beloved party members was not happy. "What a pain in the ass… I wonder how strong this guy really is?" BlackRose raised an eyebrow.

The party began their trek through the dungeon. They ran into tougher enemies, but it was nothing they couldn't handle with the help of recovery items and skills. They gained some good EXP, and managed to level up to eight; Zoey even obtained a mystical rune, whatever that is. Eventually, they made it to the end, where they saw Piros facing down an Easter Island head-like monster with grass and stone arms. This game really needs some original enemies.

"He of fair eyes, girl of destiny, and pink-haired sidekick! Bear witness!" Piros proclaimed as he charged the monster. It was a somewhat-epic clash, one that will be passed down from generations to generations of kin, with the same intensity of its burning passion remaining until the end of time. Unfortunately, due to gameplay restrictions and copyrights, it seems that the game can't process. All you have to know is that it was awesome.

However, the kicker here was that our beloved Piros was not the best fighter. "He's getting his ass kicked…" BlackRose smirked with a bored-eyed look.

The Mew realized that her partner would be useless here, and decided to act as the leader for the time being. "We got to help him!" Zoey shouted as she charged in.

She moved at the speed of sound, leaving her teammates rather caught off-guard. "R-Right!" Kite agreed as he too charged in.

It took a moment for the third wheel of the party to do anything, but eventually, she finally decided that it was better being nice in the end. "Wait for me!" BlackRose shouted as she too joined the fray.

However, our dear friend that was being attacked saw the party coming up to him, and realized the horror that could happen. "Stay back or all of you will be killed!" Piros protested, but the party didn't listen as they rushed in to help him defeat the blasted Rock Head.

"Calamity!" BlackRose shouted as she used her skill to take 30 HP away from the Rock Head. It made a strange yelp as it turned to her, the girl only succeeding in getting the monster's attention.

Luckily, being that this monster was made out of rock, it barely had the time to think properly, thus giving our heroes a good opportunity to strike. "Tiger Claw!" Kite shouted out his skill's attack as he gave the Rock Head some decent pain. It begrudgingly turned to him, thus opening another window for a deadly attack.

Our strange hero of a man smirked, and rather flamboyantly performed his attack. "Brandish!" Piros swung his axe at the Rock Head, giving it some medium damage. The monster did not turn to him, but it did stumble in their grasp.

"Crack Beat!" Zoey shouted as she used the skill to inflict heavy damage on the Rock Head. The Rock Head groaned as it used a skill, meaning large earth pillars appeared below the party and Piros, knocking them to the ground. It might have been the only attack it would ever perform; though it caused a horrific amount of damage to our friends, one still had plenty of mettle within.

"You think that will stop us, foul fiend?!" Piros spat as he leaped into the air and slammed his axe down on the Rock Head, dealing some medium damage.

BlackRose got up and growled angrily at the Rock Head. "That asshole's gonna pay!" she let out a battle cry as she charged at the Rock Head, slashing it three times with her sword before the beast smacked her with an earth pillar.

Kite and Zoey realized they were losing their footing, so they got up and ran circles around the Rock Head; the boy went first and used his blades to give the monster some small damage, rendering it down to 120 HP. Zoey leaped into the air and slashed the horrific manifestation five times with her sword, desperately trying to hack away at its health. Alas, they had him now! It was down to 50 HP.

"Now, prepare to be vanquished, Rock Head!" Piros let out a heroic battle cry as he leaped into the air and cleaved the beast into two. It disappeared without the slightest hint of even a growl. The party gained some large EXP, including Piros, who wasn't even really affiliated with them in the slightest.

"Man, what a tough sucker…" Zoey panted.

"Hmm-mm! That was quite refreshing! You may take the plunder!" Piros smiled as he gave the party some loot from the Rock Head's defeat.

"Ah, thank you." Kite smiled.

"Ha ha ha, no need to thank me. I have a feeling we will meet again… So, let's exchange member addresses." Piros grinned happily.

"W-What?!" BlackRose gawked. Piros already gave his member address to the party, so they had no choice but to give him theirs.

"Until that time… farewell! May the stars shine until the end of your journeys!" Piros saluted as he used a Sprite Ocarina to leave the dungeon.

BlackRose twirled her finger around as if to make a cuckoo gesture. "What an oddball! At least Mistral's not that kooky."

The others couldn't help but agree, though they did have the backbone to tolerate him. "He was nice enough to give us his member address, so we should invite him next time." Zoey smiled nervously.

The boy tried to look the captain this time. "I agree. I think it's time we logout. We can search for more info tomorrow." Kite suggested. Zoey and BlackRose nodded as they used a Sprite Ocarina to escape. Once outside, they saluted each other, and left the server for the time being.

**_The next day, in the real world…_**

Zoey was coming downstairs to leave for school when she saw her parents watching the news.

"…And it was yesterday afternoon that two high school students were found unconscious in their clubroom. Only one of them is comatose. The first high school student has recovered quickly, but still seems delerious to the whole situation. The doctors are still determining the cause of this mysterious coma. Until then, stay tuned for more info." The news reporter stated.

Zoey was silent as she calmly exited the house and walked her way to school.

_'So, not only Bridget and Orca have fallen into a coma, but so did two students… Is it because of The World? Maybe if I keep looking for the Girl in White, she may know something, and once I find that Monster with the Red Wand, he's going down! I don't care how strong he is; he's going to pay for Bridget's coma!'_ Zoey tightened her fists angrily.

After the deliberating schoolday was over, Zoey went to Café Mew Mew for work. It was quite busy today; the leader of the Mews was taking orders here-and-there, trying to keep up with this sudden frenzy. Near the end of this barrage, she found herself with a group of high school students. One of them had black raven hair, and she was wearing a white cardigan with green cuffs, with a green skirt to match; if you had to guess, she was wearing a traditional school uniform. After giving the order to Renee, the Mew overheard them talking.

"So Kagome, are you going to try out The World?" A friend of the one called Kagome asked. This topic sentence sent Zoey on a frenzy, and she forgot the others that seeked her, instead occupying herself with being a stealthy cat.

The girl, who apparently was named Kagome, was lost in thought. "Well, I have been thinking about it. My little brother's into that game. Is it _that_ popular?" she asked her second friend.

"Heck yeah! It's going to be put into the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest selling game! It's all the rage now!" her second friend grinned.

Kagome placed her finger beneath her chin in thought. "Hmm… I wonder what class I should choose when I get that game? I'm good at archery, but I heard there wasn't any archery class. Oh, this is tough!"

It was around this time that the Mew jumped in. "How about a Blademaster?" Zoey asked, walking up to Kagome's table.

It was not known what Kagome thought Zoey meant at first; either she already knew about the game, or the Mew was just advertising a new product. A Blademaster was found in every home, and it should be in yours, too! Still, the student finally realized the Mew was thinking the former, so she answered as such. "Blademaster?" she asked confusedly.

The Mew was happy she got the girl's attention. "I chose my class as a Blademaster, so it's a good character to start off with. There's also Twin Blade, Long Arm, or if you're a fan of spell casting, Wavemaster. I'm Zoey Hanson, by the way, and my character is Zoey… meaning my real world name." she smiled, cringing at the fact that she just stated the obvious.

_How in the world could such a young girl be into a game like this? _Kagome was asking in her head, though she refused to speak up. "You're into The World too?" she asked, still looking amazed. "Great! I think I'll go with Blademaster. I'm Kagome Higurishi, by the way. Nice to meet you, Zoey."

"Same here. Meet you in The World?" Zoey offered. It was always great to make new friends.

"Sure!" Kagome agreed. The other High School students looked baffled at the fact that they were simply thrown to the ground, forgotten and never to be mentioned again.

Thus, work for the day finally concluded.

Now we turn to Kagome, who had traveled to a different time in Japan. Little did Zoey know that this particular student has a secret; she can go back into the past by her family's ancient well without the consequences of changing the future (get that). She was talking to her Feudal Era friends about The World and her new friend Zoey.

"…And then, she suggested I should go with Blademaster to start my journey in The World! Oh, you should meet her! She's really nice, and is a beginner in The World, too!" Kagome beamed excitedly.

"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted. Clearly, he wasn't impressed. "I don't get why humans from your era are interested in those veedeeooo games. Sounds like they're lazy, if you ask me!"

The girl was shocked, though she understood his point. "It's 'video' games. V-I-D-E-O." Kagome corrected her stubborn future lover.

A man started to walk over, looking proud, though at the same time, pretty suave. "I wish we could travel back to your era to see this The World with our own eyes, but sadly, only you and Inuyasha can go through the well. Shame, shame. Who knows what, eh, delicacies await me there," Miroku stated as he was about to rub Sango's ass, but the tough woman noticed it and bitch slapped him, earning the perverted monk a red mark on the face. That's right folks; the ancient days also held perveted folk.

Kagome looked at the time. "Uh oh! I think my package with The World should arrive any moment now. Bye guys!" she waved cheerfully as she jumped into the well and went back to her era. After this, Inuyasha was silent.

It was enough to draw attention. "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Are you going to make a rude remark or try to stop Kagome, force her to go after Naraku now that he has the complete Shikon Jewel, and thus use it any time he wants?" Shippo asked curiously, knowing that he was sounding "fresh," and out of breath too; seriously, how much plot convienences and exposition could that tiny fox hold? He braced himself for Inuyasha's bops, but to his and Miroku, and hell, Sango's surprise, he didn't do anything.

"No. Kagome needs the break she wants, so I'll let her have her break. I mean, I've been pushing her too hard." Inuyasha looked at the ground in sadness.

Miroku figured out what was going on in the young man's head. "You're about to admit your feelings for Lady Kagome, aren't you?" Miroku smirked, feeling quite good with himself. A strange look towards Sango, however, forced him to stop looking so proud.

Inuyasha snapped. "Shut up, monk! Of course I'm going to admit my feelings for her, so don't you dare tell her that!" Yep, Inuyasha was back to being his same-old self. It was a relief to some, but for others, it was the freakiest thing around.

"Yeah yeah, we won't say a word." Sango has that bored smile look. Still, the fox boy merely sat babbling to himself, making the rest of the cast laugh. They better enjoy it, for Inuyasha never liked being teased.

But little did Inuyasha and his friends know that they would leave their era, and enter into The World in only a couple of days.

To be continued…

**Next time: Treasure Hunting**

**A/N: That was a short chapter, but it was worth it! Anyway, next time, Kagome will join our heroes in their quest to save Bridget and Orca after they explain their mission and go treasure hunting with Mistral, so stay tuned!**


	5. Treasure Hunting

**Chapter 5: Treasure Hunting**

Zoey got home after work and switched her computer on to check her email; from the flashing light, it was clear that she received four new emails. The first was from… huh? Strange, this one… There was no name, and the subject bluntly said "Warning." What could that possibly mean?

_'Huh? Who sent this email?'_ Zoey thought to herself as she opened it. The screen lagged once she clicked it, and it seemed that her browser was ready to implode upon itself when out of nowhere, it just appeared, as though nothing odd happened to begin with. The message within detailed the following passage:

**"You have been inquiring about the server problems… cease now. Do not ignore this warning if you wish to continue playing this game."**

Zoey was silent for about half-a-minute until she said aloud "I can't do that! Bridget needs my help, so I have to ignore this warning; no matter if whoever-this-guy-is likes it or not." With that, the Mew puffed a cheek as she deleted the email.

After that, she checked the second one, its sender apparently being Mistral. The subject said: "Wanna go treasure hunting?!" Slightly amused, the leader of the Mews decided to read it:

**"I found where a rare wand is located at Delta Surpassing Demonic Lava Field! And it's level 5! Wanna come?"**

Zoey smiled; she's interested on how Mistral can play out in the end. She replied with "Sure. I'm also bringing a new friend over once she registers into The World." She sent the reply. It was once she pressed that button that she began to wonder about her new friend; did she ever make a character? Was she enjoying the game like she was? The Mew sighed, hoping that the strange girl she met will not have any problems like hers or even Kite's.

Speaking of Kite, the third email apparently came from him. It looked as though he felt guilty about something, as the subject read "About yesterday," and the message in turn was:

**"Today was interesting. We managed to gain a Wavemaster and Heavy Axeman in our party. What's going on your side?"**

Okay, so he wasn't guilty. Give her a break; you can't read emotions through text! Anyways, Zoey replied with "Mistral has invited us to go treasure hunting at Delta Surpassing Demonic Lava Field. She said she found a rare wand there for level 5. Wanna come?" With another twirl of the finger, the "send" button was pressed, and the message went through the heavily guarded cyberspace. Man, reading emails was certainly tiring!

Finally, she selected the fourth email, which rounded out her friends, being that it was from BlackRose. The subject said "What a pain!", and if I have to say this anymore times… It read:

**"Yesterday was exhausting. We didn't get any info on the Girl in White, but we got a Wavemaster who saw yours and Kite's powers, and a Heavy Axeman who already annoys the hell out of me! But it was fun never the less (****sic). So, what's up today?"**

Zoey replied with "I know it's exhausting, but we need Mistral and Piros' help now that they gave us their member addresses. Mistral has invited us to go treasure hunting at Delta Surpassing Demonic Lava Field. Wanna come? I'm also bringing over a new friend once she registers into The World. Her name is Kagome." Once more, and man, does she make it thereatrical, she sent the reply.

Two minutes later, she received replies from Kite and BlackRose, saying they agreed to go with Mistral and meet Zoey's new friend. Our young heroine smiled as she placed her Neuro Goggles on and logged into The World.

**_Meanwhile, with Kagome_**

"And done!" Kagome smiled as she created her very own Blademaster. It looked like her real world self, only her face has symbols painted on it, and her body was clad in a green bikini with a red skirt and yellow boots; a silver sword was holstered by her side, making her image complete. In retrospect, she only looked identical by the face.

Her little brother, Sota, was watching his sister finishing the setup of The World. "So, Kagome. You're now into The World, huh?" the little boy smiled.

Our student looked at him with a slight scowl, though she quickly reverted to looking impassive, just in case her brother threw a fit. "Yeah," Kagome nodded, as she was getting ready to put on the Neuro Goggles.

The boy looked at the computer screen, and then proceeded to scratch his chin. "Call me crazy, but I heard this game was out after that disaster known as Pluto's Kiss, whatever that is. I guess no one knows how it was averted or something like that. It's just a rumor I heard from school." Sota stated as he stared at the Neuro Goggles.

_Why are kids his age talking about that? _"Yeah… I learned about it at school, too. Pluto's Kiss is when computers around the world went haywire and the Pentagon's super computer was infected with the Pluto's Kiss virus. Pluto's Kiss was the reason the world almost got destroyed…" Kagome nodded.

"I hope nothing like that happens again." Sota shivered, remembering events from the past that are so damn terrible, no one can ever begin to describe them in detail.

Kagome went over to pat his head. "Don't worry about it. Even if it somehow happens again, I can somehow evacuate me, you, Mom and Grandpa to the Feudal Era." She closed her eyes and smiled like the little saint she was trying to be.

"R-Really?! I'd love to see Inuyasha again. By the way, aren't you going to tell him you _love_ him?" Sota smiled, feeling much better now, enough to become teasing once more.

Kagome blushed madly, her face tomato red as she picked up her pillow and flung it at Sota, though he managed to dodge it.

"Uh… Sorry about that! I'll leave you alone, Sis." Sota sweat dropped as he exited Kagome's room. The girl sighed as she turned to her computer, which happened to be an ATLIMIT. Small world, eh? "Now, Zoey should be at Mac Anu, a place for beginners like me." With that, the girl placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World.

…

In The World, Zoey logged in and saw Kite and BlackRose waving at her. "Hey guys!" she waved back as she ran up to them.

Her two friends were at least getting good around her, though they couldn't help but notice something missing. "So, where's your new friend?" Kite asked Zoey as he looked around for her.

"She should be here any minute." The Mew tried to reassure, hoping that her new friend of the real world didn't just leave her to rot… Wow, that was poorly worded of me. Luckily, Kagome did eventually log in, most likely going through the opening cinematic that all new players go through.

She looked around in awe. "So, this is The World… It feels like I'm inside the game!" Kagome clapped her hands happily. Feudal Japan made her slightly scared the first time around, but a game world that doesn't really advertise virtual reality suddenly bringing you into virtual reality makes her feel great. Go figure, eh?

"Hey! Kagome!" Zoey called out to her. The newcomer looked around to who called her real name, thus causing her to identify the Mew, thanks to the young girl's inability to make an original-looking character. She smiled as she ran up to them.

"Heya Zoey! So this is your avatar in The World. Who are your friends?" Kagome asked with the greatest of all virtual, low-res smiles.

Zoey nodded in return, and pointed towards her fellow team members. "This is Kite and BlackRose. They're beginners like us." she introduced her two friends with a wave of the finger. Kagome had to admit: she didn't expect "newbies" to look this awesome.

"Hello." Kite greeted, looking sheepish at the virtual girl; didn't she know that there were other clothing options aside from a freaking bra?

The other member, unlike Kite, attempted to keep her cool. "Nice to meetcha." BlackRose winked, both in a weird way and in a twisted way, though the "newbie" couldn't detect either. So, with that, we have our delightful cast introduced! I hope you're happy now.

Kagome inspected Kite's clothes. "I've never seen a character like that before. Did CC Corp create that character and you won it in an event?" she asked, inspecting Kite's character. Then, thanks to the game suddenly getting better latency in the network, she realized something, causing her to look at Zoey's character as well. "Come to think of it, your character looks unique too. Did you also win that character in a contest?" she asked those questions.

"Um…" Zoey, Kite, and BlackRose sweat dropped nervously.

They were about to tell Kagome on how Kite and Zoey's characters looked so cool until they were interrupted by a cheerful "Heeeeyyyy everybody!" All eyes turned to Mistral running up to them, waving her hand cheerfully.

The sight of the rambuxious girl made the Mew both happy, relieved, and oddly infatuated, though the last one may have been caused by the girl's strange gear that looked powerful (so, Zoey is a gear-hog, eh?) "Mistral, you made it." she smiled.

The girl finally stopped skipping and bowed to them. "Yep! I got everything ready for our treasure hunting trip!" Mistral grinned. She noticed Kagome and asked her new friends, "Who's that?"

"O-Oh! I'm Kagome Higurishi, but in The World, I'm now called Kag. So who are you? Judging by your appearance, you're a Wavemaster, right? I'm still learning the classes," Kagome asked with a charming smile.

The girl jumped in the air, giving the new girl a strange look of satisfaction. "Yep. My name is Mistral, and I met my new best friends just yesterday." she nodded happily.

"R-Really?!" Kag gasped in shock before looking at her new online friends in awe.

The wavemaster twirled around, I guess trying to emote through commands, though she is doing it excessively. "Are you a beginner? If so, you should stick with us, since the area we are going to is level 5. Hey, let's exchange member addresses!" Mistral suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement, as they exchanged member addresses.

Once that was done, the party began to formulate their plan. "So, we're heading to Delta Surpassing Demonic Lava Field?" BlackRose repeated what she heard on her email.

"Yeah! I heard the level 5 wand called 'Ebony Wand' is located in that area in a Gott statue. So, let's form a party of 2 with 3 in the first group and 2 in the second group. Onward brave companions!" Mistral marched towards the Chaos Gate, marching proudly like a leader in a marching band. Kite, Zoey and BlackRose sighed in acceptance while Kag looked confused, but they formed their parties anyway.

Kite, BlackRose and Zoey rounded the first group, while Mistral and Kag went on to form the second. Personally, it should've been different, you know with the lower-level person being in the bigger group, but I am not there, so I can't say anything about it. Eventually, they warped to Delta Surpassing Demonic Lava Field.

…

In that area, they can apparently walk on lava with no problems at all. The two parties were heading towards the dungeon, though while they were doing that, Mistral decided to strike up a conversation with Kag.

"Hey! Hey Kag!" she started, somehow glitching the game to allow her to glomp her new best friend. Kagome shrieked at this, with the Wavemaster nuzzling her face in her back. It was an odd way to get the girl's attention, mind you. "Okay, did you know that two of my friends can rewrite a monster's data using an event skill?!" Mistral asked excitedly.

"Huh?" Kag asked as the female Wavemaster twirled around her, facing her…face. "They can do that? Did they win those skills in a contest by CC Corp?" She questioned. Are there _that _many contests by that group? For a person that didn't really know about this game, she knows a lot about those competitions.

The wavemaster shrugged, walking perfectly in sync with her friend. "I dunno, but maybe. I saw them use it on that strange green-covered monster at a broken area. Recently, The World has some damaged areas since the servers first crashed but since recovered." Mistral stated as she looked at Kite's party entering the dungeon. It wouldn't be long before she had to endure the hell within the disturbing temple.

"R-Really?! I have never heard of that when I first got the game!" Kag gasped in shock. Was she confused about the game crashing, or the powers? Maybe both, I don't know.

"It's true! Also, there are rumors of an event character going around in The World. A girl in white, or something like that." Mistral stated as she and Kag entered the dungeon, the wavemaster now holding hands with the "newbie".

_'A girl in white…'_ Kag thought as they caught up with Kite's group. Thus, they began their trek down the dungeon, clearing the first four floors of magic portals, which were filled with all sorts of dangerous monsters, such as montho, Ceith Kourage of Beta Areas, and the almighty digerydoo player of the Alphas, though they defeated them quite easily. Kagome managed to level up to five quickly, while our heroes are almost at level 9. Eventually, they reached the final floor, with the final magic portal standing in their way.

"Here it comes!" Mistral shouted excitedly as the magic portal dispelled to reveal another Rock Head.

"Oh, not this thing again!" BlackRose growled, pissed at this sudden repetition of ideas.

The party grew into attack mode, though they were quickly stopped by the hand of Kite. "Hold on, Zoey, use your bracelet when we damage it, ok?" he told Zoey right off the bat.

Zoey didn't know the plan, but remembering how powerful these bracelets could be, she didn't bother questioning. "Right. I don't care if I am seen using Data Drain." she nodded in agreement.

"Data… Drain?" Kag had a question mark above her head. Kite pulled the "newb" away from the groups and began telling her about why he and Zoey's characters are unique, and how Orca and Bridge were Data Drained. That's right, folks; he just exposited the hell out of her.

The party, meanwhile, began their assault. "Rue Rom!" Mistral casted her first spell, a small fireball that hit the Rock Head for medium damage.

With the beast stumbling, the others moved in for the kill. "Calamity!" BlackRose leaped into the air and slammed her blade down on the Rock Head, giving it some more damage, almost mediocre at best.

The monster tried to attack the party, but he was too slow for their agility levels. "Crack Beat!" Zoey slashed the Rock Head three times.

We've already seen this before, so lets go back to the expositioning group, shall we? "Oh my gosh… I never heard of people falling into a coma because of The World!" Kag covered her mouth in shock.

"Yeah… and me and Zoey believe that the Girl in White may hold the answers to why Orca and Bridge fell into it. Bizarre, right?" Kite nodded.

It truly was strange, to the point that Kagome had no words to describe it. "I see… If we find the Girl in White, she can tell us how to save your friends," she then had a look of determination. "I'll help you and Zoey find the Girl in White, and the monster responsible for your friends' condition. Right now, let's get back to this fight." she unsheathed her sword and leapt into the air, slashing the Rock Head three times before it knocked her into the ground. Classic!

"Repth!" Mistral waved her wand at Kag, healing her with 150 HP restored.

Kagome suddenly felt relieved, and her stamina regained itself. "Thanks, Mistral!" she winked at her. Mistral rubbed the back of her head nervously, chuckling to herself. With that, the Blademaster glared at the Rock Head and rushed in, dodging its attacks as she slashed the Rock Head three times again. Is there ever a four-slash attack?

The battle continued. "Here's an attack item!" BlackRose got out a scroll labeled "Raining Rocks," causing, well, rocks to indeed rain on the Rock Head, giving it some decent hurt; fight fire with fire? Kite rushed in and used Tiger Claws to give the Rock Head some big amounts of hurt, and let me tell you, hurt is hurtful. The words "Protect Break" appeared, and green data appeared around it for a minute before vanishing.

"Oh boy! Here it comes!" Mistral cheered, waiting for the grand finale to finally occur.

The Mew huffed and puffed, and in the end, a grin was displayed. "Alright! Data Drain!" Zoey activated her bracelet and fired at the Rock Head, reducing it to a lower monster. She also got a bigger version of the red data orbs she collected previously. Kite rushed in response, managing to defeat the low-level monster. The battle ended with our heroes the victors. Don't you just love that classic music?

When the smoke finally cleared, Kagome was left in utter shock. "So that's Data Drain…" she whispered.

"Zoey, you were awesome! Using that skill to beat the crap out of that Rock Head by rewriting its data!" Mistral cheered, hugging the virtual Mew with the greatest intensity a level 9 person could have.

"Um, thanks, I guess…" Zoey smiled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. The parties entered the last room, and Mistral walked up to the Gott statue chest and opened it. She got the Ebony Wand she mentioned the dungeon would have.

"Yay! We got the treasure!" Mistral turned to her friends with a smile and replied, "Let's head back to Root Town. Tired of looking at rock all day!" The parties nodded in agreement as Kite used a Sprite Ocarina to get them out, leading them straight to Mac Anu.

…

At Mac Anu, Mistral turned to her friends with a grin and said, "Today was lots of fun, and I got to see Zoey's rewriting skill as well. Crap, I have to head home. Bye!" she waved good-bye as she logged out.

Kag turned to her new friends with a smile and said "I believe your stories. I would tell you about my stories about having an adventure in the real world, but I'll tell you about it soon. I have to get back to my studies. I had fun today. Hope we do this again, and I hope we work together to save your friends!" she waved cheerfully as she also logged out.

With the newcomers gone, the trio sighed in relief. "Well, I'm beat. I hope we have more info on the Girl in White soon." BlackRose yawned as she logged out as well.

"I'll email you as soon as I get more info, ok?" Kite smiled at Zoey.

"Okay!" the Mew nodded with a smile as the two of them logged out.

To be continued…

**Next time: Gate Hacking**

**A/N: Next time, Kite and Zoey will learn Gate Hacking from Mia and go into a Protected Area, but their actions will cause some problems in the real world, namely, the island of Nerima and the chapter that will have the Ranma gang investigating The World. All based on a story by X Inori X. So credit goes to him/her! Stay tuned!**


	6. Gate Hacking

**Chapter 6: Gate Hacking**

It wasn't long after their previous venture that the young Mew discovered something peculiar. "I won an item!?" Zoey gasped as she checked her email. It was from CC Corp, oddly enough, and the subject said "You're Winner!" It was written in the style of an overzealous teenager, and it read:

**"Congratulations! You and another player are the lucky winners of our One Year Anniversary, Power Up Campaign! As a prize, you and the second player will receive a special level up item created for this occasion! Please receive your prize at a shop in Root Town."**

Our Heroine was silent. She won a contest so soon? When did she ever even enter one? She decided to go see this for herself by logging into The World.

Zoey logged in, and was automatically placed into Mac Anu. She saw Kite talking to a shopkeeper who gave him two strange books. He noticed the mew, and waved his hand in the air, causing the girl to run up.

A question was lingering in her head. "You got the same email about winning a contest too?" Zoey asked, raising an eyebrow as she stared at the two books Kite had.

The boy grinned and emoted with a thumbs up, still somehow keeping the books in the air. "Yeah, I find it odd that we won a contest so soon. Here, this is yours." Kite gave Zoey her prize.

"Alright, so we have to install them into our characters?" she asked, wondering how to do that if it was the case. Kite nodded, though, meaning her thoughts became reality.

"Well, here goes…" Zoey stated as she and the boy both installed the books, but for some reason, they couldn't. They got an error saying the installation is a failure. "Huh?" the Mew blinked as they tried installing the books again, but they got the same error message.

"…" The two of them were silent for about 19 seconds (exact) until Zoey muttered "What a waste… These items are nothing but duds…"

Kite was suspicious about those Books of Law items. "I dunno. Something must be up with the Books of Law that keeps us from installing them."

Suddenly, as if the fates wanted to wait for the right moment, both Kite and Zoey got new emails. "I got to go! See ya!" The two of them said in unison as they both logged out.

Back in the real world, Zoey removed her Neuro Goggles and exited The World's start up screen. She checked her email, and to her surprise, a new one was flashing on the screen. The bizarre thing about it, though, was that it was from… Mia!

_'The Cat Player?'_ Zoey wondered as she checked the subject of the mail the strange woman sent her. It said "Power of the Bracelets", and it read:

**"Data Drain is not the only power on yours and the boy's bracelets. Do you want to know more? You do, don't you? Come on, admit it! Delta Boundless Corrupted Fort Walls. I'll be waiting for you two at this area, so come alone."**

_'Data Drain is not the only power Kite and I can use? How much does that Cat Player know?'_ Zoey thought as she received an email from the boy in question. The subject said "The Cat Player" and it read:

**"I got an email from that cat player we met not too long ago. She said there is more to our bracelets' powers than meets the eye. I'll meet you at Mac Anu to go to Delta Boundless Corrupted Fort Walls."**

"Kite got the same email as well. What is that Cat Player up to?" Zoey asked herself as she wondered who Mia truly is; how much does she know about their bracelets? Could she know about the Girl in White? If so, maybe she knows a way to save both Bridget and Orca! Determined to solve the mystery of the wondrous girl, she decided to log back into The World. She placed her Neuro Goggles on and logged in, ready to face whatever she had to, I guess.

Zoey logged in and saw Kite waiting for her at the Chaos Gate, walking up to him with the greatest dedication she had ever displayed. Nodding to each other, they formed their two-member party and warped to Delta Boundless Corrupted Fort Walls.

…

Delta Boundless Corrupted Fort Walls was an area covered in the night sky, but it was unfortunately corrupted as well, with the sky showing pieces of data and digits flying around in mid-air.

"This area… It's corrupted as well." Zoey uttered.

Suddenly, Kite and the Mew heard Mia's voice."Hi! I've been waiting for you two. Actually, I'm also interested in your bracelets. Thanks for coming."

Unfortunately, when I said they heard her voice, that was all that happened; the girl was nowhere to be found. "Where are you?" Kite asked politely.

It took a little bit, but eventually the girlish voice continued. "I'm at the lowest level of the dungeon. You two can make it there, can't you?" Mia's voice asked playfully.

The party members followed her word, and continued towards the main establishment. "First thing's first… How did you know about Data Drain?" Zoey demanded, hoping she gets a positive answer from the currently disembodied voice.

"Well, it's hard to say…" Mia's voice stated. Our heroes hoped that the cat girl would say more, but unfortunately, a laugh was the last thing they heard from her. Shrugging, the two players entered the dungeon. They encountered an administrator telling them that the area was corrupted, and they needed to log out to avoid suspension, though they chose to ignore it like the first one.

Kite and Zoey were walking down the path when they decided to strike up a conversation. "How does that Cat Player know about Data Drain?" Zoey wondered.

It was definitely the icebreaker for today. "I don't know. We should ask her that personally." Kite suggested, sounding oddly heroic and strangely generic at the same time. Zoey could agree on one thing: the Cat Player known as Mia may hold the answers to their questions about their bracelets, or maybe even about the Girl in White; preferably both, but eh, you take what you can get.

They managed to get down to the third floor. It is then that Mia spoke with them once more. "So, what do you think? Do you think the area is really corrupted? The truth is, for something to be born, something must break. The same applies to humans. Do you two understand what I mean?" Mia's voice asked. Kite and Zoey were silent as they pressed on.

They made it to the fourth floor where once again, Mia spoke rather cryptically. "You two came here to find the secret of the two bracelets, but you still don't quite trust me. The world does not consist of 1's and 0's, like some nut-IT instructors believe. It allows the existence of areas between Yes and No. Humans are interesting, aren't they?" Mia's voice mused. Kite and Zoey looked at each other nervously before continuing, wondering what the hell this girl was going on about.

Within the surprisingly powerful dungeon, they fought tough monsters that were never seen before, like the Diahou Yuan, the Shammy Wowhy, and of course, the legendary Golden Nodrog Nitsuj, all falling before their mighty arms. Eventually, they managed to get through, and even leveled up to level 10.

The duo saw purple mist coming out of the second room. "Alright. Inside this place should be that Cat Player, and whatever challenge she may hold for us." Zoey stated.

"Yeah. Let's do it." Kite agreed as the two of them entered the room.

Inside, Mia's voice spoke to them again, once more acting like the most suspicious feline you can imagine. "Go closer to that magic portal," she said in almost a taunting manner. Our heroes nodded as they got closer to the spiraling vortex of rage and hell. It revealed two large-winged bird monsters. This would've been nothing regularly, but there was a twist to these two; they are currently Data Bugs!

A guffaw was heard. "Now… Show me the powers of the ones who hold the bracelets!" Mia instructed, making what sounded like a clapping noise.

Apparently, she was challenging them, and seeing the appearance of these two creatures, she wasn't making an easy one. "G-Got it!" Zoey whipped out her sword.

However, the low-res arm of Kite stopped her. "Hold on, Zoey. There's two Data Bugs, and they have to be damaged enough to be Data Drained. Have any spells on you?" he asked with a smile.

The Mew was confused about this, but she eventually perked up. "Of course! I get what you're thinking! I got some scrolls from Mistral's treasure hunting trip. Alright, let's put that plan of yours to work!" Zoey nodded as the two of them distracted the two Data Bugs.

With that, our little girl used two "Raining Rocks" to give the second Data Bug some hefty amounts of damage. Kite, meanwhile, hit the first Data Bug with two "Fire Tempest" scrolls, causing fire rocks to rain down on the Data Bug, giving it some large damage. You can say that they are "damaged" individuals… I kid, I kid…

"I got an idea to add to your plan, Kite! I'll use 'The Hanged Man' to stop them temporarily!" Zoey winked as she used two "Hanged Men" to stop the two Data Bugs from moving for a while. The boy gave her a thumb up as he rushed in and used Tiger Claws to give the first Data Bug some big amounts of damage.

Zoey rushed in and slashed the second Data Bug with her sword five times. The boy, in turn, used Tiger Claws again to give the first Data Bug some big amounts of hurt. Both monsters were reeling in pain, but they were not finished yet, and the Mew knew that the item didn't last forever. Thus, she used the remaining time she had to give the second Data Bug three Crack Beats, as she was careful not to exhaust her SP. Soon, the two Data Bugs were able to move again, cackling to themselves as they blew fire at the two players. Both of them tried to dodge it, but they were unfortunately hit for medium damage. It looked like this mission was going to end in failure, but they quickly used Health Drinks to regain their lost HP. Thank god for items we never saw them pick up.

Zoey leapt into the air and slashed the second Data Bug three times. Kite did the same, only he did it 5 times due to him being a Twin Blade, you know? They decided to finish this by using scrolls; the words Protect Break appeared above the two Data Bugs before disappearing, meaning it was time to Data Drain them. If you listen closely, you could hear Mia gasp in awe.

The duo wasted no time here. "Data Drain!" Kite and Zoey activated their bracelets and fired at the two Data Bugs, rewriting their data and robbing them of their Data Bug powers, turning them into normal Red Wyrms. Man, if you saw that transformation sequence, you would be _freaked _out! With the battle essentially won, the two heroes received two red data orbs, filling their bodies with the courage to finish the job. They teamed up to defeat the Red Wyrms, earning some good EXP in the process.

Mia and the Wavemaster (who apparently was with her) from before watched in awe, having just witnessed their powers. "So that's the Data Drain… I've never seen it before." she gasped in awe.

Once they heard her voice again, both of them snapped towards the cat. "W-What?! Then how did you know about Data Drain in the first place?!" Zoey demanded, miffed that Mia doesn't know a thing about her and Kite's mysterious powers.

The Cat made an adorable mew (heh), but quickly regained her bearings. "Are you angry?" Mia asked them calmly. "I just wanted to know the extent of both your powers. If you two were weak, there would be no point in teaching you two how to hack the gates."

"Hack the gates?" Kite was confused, as was the leader of the Mews.

The cat nodded as she folded her arms. "You two just drained virus cores. Those talents come in handy if you two know what you're doing. Virus cores are the key to breaking through protective barriers. Of course, virus cores are useless to those who don't have the bracelets." Mia explained. Kite and Zoey stared at their bracelets, which began to glow. "I'll show you two how to hack them, trust me. Come to the Chaos Gate. I enjoyed watching the Data Drain." The strange girl smirked as she used a Sprite Ocarina to escape, followed by the Wavemaster. The duo decided to do the same, wondering what on Earth to expect.

…

They were now facing Mia and the Wavemaster at the Chaos Gate in Mac Anu. "My name is Mia, and this Wavemaster is Elk. First, Kite will add us to his party, then I will teach both him and you how to hack the gate." she smiled.

They were added. "Enter the keyword to a Protected Area. It should open the menu to hack the gate. You do know the keywords to a Protected Area, right? It was posted on the Board. The keywords are Delta Closed Oblivious Twin Hills." The cat girl stated. Kite and Zoey selected Delta Closed Oblivious Twin Hills and their bracelets shined as the bracelets projected a holographic computer screen with a keyboard and the menu called Gate Hacking Menu version 2.0 appeared on the bracelets' screens.

"See? You need virus cores to hack the gates. Check the gauge to see the type and number of virus cores you need to hack the gate. If you have all of the necessary virus cores, you can fill the gauge and hack the gate. After hacking the gate, the virus cores you had will be gone. Once you two have hacked a gate, that area will be open to anyone. Do you two understand?" she asked with a smile that was strangely odd. It appeared they had to hack the gate. Kite and Zoey nodded hesitantly.

The duo in turn used the 2 Virus Cores to complete the gauge. Suddenly, the bracelets' computer screens disappeared, and they turned into hand-sized space ships as the area around them showed a white-and-green area, as they, Mia, and Elk were flying upward. "W-What's going ooooooooooooonnn?!" Zoey screamed. The strange and disturbing journey seemed to have lasted for quite a long time, but they eventually stopped and appeared in Delta Closed Oblivious Twin Hills. Like the previous area, it was also corrupted.

Our heroes panted heavily as they looked at Mia, who was also now looking towards a dungeon in the distance. "There must be some kind of secret in these protected areas. That's why they lock it, right?" the girl asked them.

Knowing that this could only get weirder, the two heroes only nodded in defeat. "Let's head into the dungeon to learn more." Zoey suggested.

A squeal was heard from the girl. "Good idea. I like you, Zoey." Mia smiled as she patted the Mew on the back. Elk, in contrast with everyone else, was silent as the parties entered the dungeon.

…

The parties made it to the second floor, earning some good treasure and EXP along the way. Elk managed to level up to 9, while Mia is now level 12, 2 levels higher than either Kite or Zoey. As they were walking down the path, though, the cat stopped and looked at the ceiling. "Mia? What's wrong?" Elk asked in concern, his voice rather gruff in comparison to his bodily complexion.

The catgirl laughed to herself as she turned to her friend with a smile, one that was both nice and terrifying. "Nothing is wrong, Elk. Just staring at the ceiling." Kite and Zoey shrugged as they managed to get to the third floor, defeating a few jabberwockies along the way. Eventually, they came across some purple mist, meaning there's a boss or Data Bug in there. They entered the room and saw the magic portal.

Time for some more exposition. "If you approach a magic portal, Data Bugs will appear. If you two Data Drain those Bugs, you can get virus cores from them. There has to be a reason you two have those bracelets." Mia took a glance at her currently fearful friends, who were using that look quite well.

"You want us to go there to find out the reason, huh?" the Mew asked the Cat with a serious look. She, in return, nodded with a smile as the parties charged at the magic portal, which revealed to be a Data Bugged Stone Turtle.

The excitement was already exploding. "This is gonna be fun!" Mia laughed as the parties began attacking. However, we know you don't want to see that right now. I bet you want to see a strange scene occuring in the real world, hm? Come on, let's turn to the real world, in the island of Nerima.

…

"Argh!" Ranma growled as he hits the computer.

Woah, talk about introductions! "What's the matter Ranma?" asked Akane as she walked into her father's bedroom.

Another slam of the fist onto the keyboard. "It's the stupid computer Akane! It won't work." Ranma grumbled to himself.

The girl had no idea what to make of this, so she only smiled. "Maybe we can use Nabiki's laptop." Akane said just as the girl in question walked in

"If your thinking of using my laptop, it won't work… all the computers in Nerima don't work."

"What?!" said Ranma and Akane together. "How do you know this Nabiki?"

The girl was confused, thinking that everyone already knew by this point. "The news. Every server of that popular online game in Tokyo called The World crashed, and Nerima has some problems with the internet. So I guess some believe the source came from The World itself." Nabiki folded her arms.

This news was quite troubling. "What do you mean?" asked Akane.

Hating to explain anymore, Nabiki folded her arms. "The internet shut off and on; one minute it's working, the next it doesn't."

"I see." he left the room, and then Akane heard the front door slam.

"Ranma, where are you going?"

"Getting everyone together. I bet they're pretty steamed as well." The two of them (yes, the girl followed) entered Ucchan's.

"Ranma, you're here too huh?" said Ryouga.

"Yeah. So, we're here for the same reason I'm I right?" said Ranma. Everyone nodded but Kuno.

"Kuno, what the heck are you doing here?"

"What else Ranma? To see my lovely Akane!"

"Eh?" Ryouga gave Kuno a dirty look and then took a mallet out his backpack.

"I've been saving this for Ranma-" Ryouga was cut off.

"Hey!" yelled Ranma angrily. Ryouga looked over at him curiously. "Oh right sorry, ruined the moment… keep going." Ranma chuckled nervously. Ryouga looked at him and continued:

"I shall use it on this idiot who is my competitor for Akane's love!"

"Eh?"

"A-A-Akane did I say that out loud?" Everyone nods; Ryoyga sweat dropped. Suddenly, there was a WHAM!

"Owwwwwww!" Kuno let out a loud scream and fell to the ground,

"There, that takes care of that idiot… So, where were we?" said Mousse holding a big spatula in his hand.

"First give that back!" said Ukyo and she grabbed the spatula and huffed.

"Shampoo remember what we talk about; we talk about computers in trouble and how Ranma and I must save then get married."

"That's not it!" yelled Akane and Ukyo.

Ranma fell silent.

"Anyways, we must put a stop to this virus at once! I can't buy more weapons to beat Ranma with if the internet is down!" shouted Mousse.

"Hey!"

"Yeah and I can't find anymore maps to get back here to get Ranma," frowned Ryouga.

"Hey!"

"Yes and Shampoo must have internet for learning more tactics to get rid of all of Ranma-lover so I have Ranma all for Shampoo! And so Shampoo buy wedding dress." said Shampoo.

"And I need it to get rid of Shampoo" whispered Akane to herself.

"What's that Akane? Shampoo cat ears say that Akane say something?"

"No, I said nothing… Why do you need the internet so bad Ukyo?" asked Akane.

"I can't keep track of my sales without it."

"Well there's only one thing to do! Risk going on the internet and defeat the viruses ourselves!" said Ranma.

"Great idea but how do we do that hmmm?" Ryoga raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's called the news, Ryouga; watch it sometime." said Ranma sarcastically.

"That's right!"

"Akane why do you take his side?" yelled Ryouga,

"No… I mean my sister said that something is wrong in "The World", so the only way to beat the virus is to be players in "The World" because whatever is causing the shut off and on thing has to be a reason, right?" Akane theorized.

"Akane Tendou! Genius, everyone! We must do as Akane says!" said Mousse.

"At least someone appreciates me," Akane stated, glaring at Ranma.

"Hey!"

"But here's the thing: how do we know what character type beats what character type?" said Ukyo.

"Well I don't know. Never played The World before, so I don't know what character type beats the other." Ranma shrugged.

"Really Ranma?" said Ryouga,

"Ah! Ranma is smart, Shampoo like smart men." Shampoo clapped her hands happily.

"Shampoo, why!" said Mousse in tears.

"Well the character types are Twin Blades, Wavemasters, Long Arms, Blademasters, Heavy Ax-men, and a Heavy Blade." said Ranma.

"Best part is each one of us can be each of the one characters!" said Ukyo,

"But who be who?" asked Shampoo,

"Ah! Shampoo, there is only one simple answer!" said Mousse,

"The character types in this bowl? I guess it could work." said Ukyo

"Well, Shampoo: who is smart?" asked Mousse, grinning.

"Not Mousse, Shampoo no like show-off men!" Once again, Mousse started to cry.

"She's out of your reach, Mousse," said Ryouga,

"That's true even for you, Ryouga, cause you can't get a date with-"

"Shut up!" Ryouga hit Ranma in the head with the mallet, and he fell to the floor.

"I guess I did save this for Ranma." smiled Ryouga.

"Well, let's draw now." Each one of them put their hands in the bowl and grabbed a slip of paper. Akane went twice for Ranma.

"Well, what did you guys get?" asked Ukyo.

"I got a long-arm." said Akane, "and Ranma got a heavy-ax-man,"

"Shampoo get Heavy blade."

"I got a Twin Blade" said Mousse,

"And I got a Blademaster, so Ukyo must have got a-"

"Wavemaster."

"The only thing to do is wake up Ranma, to discuss what to do next." said Akane,

"I got an idea," Grinned Ryouga and Mousse evilly.

"Ryouga shall be my assistant."

"First, fill up a bucket of cold water," Ryouga came running in from the kitchen with cold water, "Next, pour the water on Shampoo," Ryouga poured the water on Shampoo, and quickly held the cat-Shampoo in his arms. "Finally, we shall wake up Ranma with cold water; ice cold water."

"And I shall do it!" said Kuno running for the kitchen with the bucket.

"Now, pour the water on Ranma. Once he wakes up, release Shampoo." Kuno did as he was told and Ryouga let go of Shampoo. Shampoo jumped on Ranma, and Ranma woke up with a scary surprise.

"Cat!" yelled Ranma.

"Purrrrr."

Ranma ran in circles panicking,

"I'll remember that next time," said Akane

"It's very simple, Akane Tendou," Mousse sticks his nose up like a snob.

"My pigtailed goddess! Where have you been hiding? I shall save you from this cat!" said Kuno trying to get Shampoo off Ranma.

"Your hurting Shampoo, you fiend!" said Mousse, pulling Ranma off Shampoo.

"Oh, this reminds me: Akane, never have this idiot around or the plan will never work." said Ryouga.

"Don't worry Ryouga, I'll call Kuno afterwards." smirked Akane.

"Finally Shampoo is off of Ranma, and you shall be going!" yelled Mousse and he booted Kuno out of Ucchan's.

"Guys, you're scaring away the customers!" yelled Ukyo. Shampoo jumped out of Mousse's arms, grabbed her clothes, and ran into the kitchen. Ranma followed her,

"Now Shampoo no more kitty-cat. Shall we continue?"

"Yeah good, she's no cat," Ranma said to himself.

"So Ran-chan, what do we do now?" asked Ukyo,

"Well we log-on with the computers tomorrow, and create our characters. Then, we go find out what we can about the virus."

"Ok…" Everyone nodded in agreement, and they went home to prepare for tomorrow to catch the culprit responsible for the virus causing Nerima all sort of problems.

**_Back to the story_**

"Data Drain!" Kite shouted, using his bracelet's power to destroy the Data Bug, making it into a normal Stone Turtle.

This opened the advantage. "Elk, now!" Mia ordered.

"R-Right! Ra Rom!" Elk cast an earth spell, and it hit the Stone Turtle for medium damage.

With that, the stone turtle was flibbigating in its sprite limit(?). "Now it's time for me to finish this!" Mia grinned as she leapt up and slashed the Stone Turtle, cutting it in half and its data disappeared. Kite and Zoey looked at their bracelets.

Guess it was about time the catgirl learned the truth. "These bracelets actually belong to my friend, Orca, and Zoey's friend, Bridge." Kite stated.

"Mmm?" Mia looked at the two with a questionable look. It was then that our heroes randomly decided to blurt out everything: about how Orca and Bridge were Data Drained; the Girl in White and the Monster with the Red Wand; the other people in their party that were unfortunately neglected this chapter; everything.

After they finished, the catgirl seemed to be just as amused as before. "I don't care what happened to you two in the past, but I am interested in what you two are going to do with the bracelets. If you're going after the Monster with the Red Wand, you must use the power that thing used on your friends. Well, that's about it for now. If there's anything I can do to help you two, I'll try my best." Mia smiled as she turned around and started to walk a bit, before she decided to wave her hand in a friendly gesture, signifying that she may just be an ally. Elk, the strange man of the group, stared at Kite and Zoey for about 2 minutes before he left as well.

_'I got a bad feeling about this…'_ the young Mew thought.

However, this feeling did not carry over to her ally. "Mia is really nice, isn't she, Zoey?" Kite smiled.

That reaction caught her off-guard. "Y-Yeah. She taught us some interesting things about our bracelets, but I wonder how she knew these things in the first place." Zoey wondered. However, just as soon as she began pondering, she realized the time. "Uh oh. I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow so we can go exploring some places, ok?" Zoey smiled.

Kite nodded to her in respect and with an emote, which did not render correctly, forcing him to be a red X. She wanted to react to this, but decided not to, as the both of them logged out.

To be continued…

**Next chapter: Anything Goes**

**A/N: Next up, the Ranma gang will chase Kite and Zoey, but when Ranma confronts them and threatens to delete them by himself, Mia will come to our heroes' rescue, what happens next? Find out next chapter! Scenes of this chapter are based on Hack Signs by X Inori X. So credit goes to him/her!**


	7. Anything Goes

A/N: Natsume will join the party in the next chapter. So here is part 2 of the Ranma group's appearance!

Chapter 7: Anything Goes

**_The next day_**

It didn't take long for Ranma and his friends to create their characters.

Ranma's avatar is like his real world self, only he now sported red hair like his female form, with his clothing being red body armour, with green gantlets and yellow boots covering the feet. A high-resolution red axe completed his form, if he was still a "he," that is.

Akane's character is like her real world self, though she now had symbols painted on her face, with a blue robe and brown pants being their attire. As evidenced by their class, a glaive glistened in the lighting effects. Everyone else, most likely because they had no idea how online verse's worked, made their characters _exactly _like them; a few pixels different here and there, but roughly the same.

They all logged into The World at once. "Now what?" asked Akane, never being a part of this whole "online gaming" craze. In fact, almost none of them were ever a part of this, and many suspected that this step was actually all they had to do.

Thus, when all else failed, they turned to look at Ranma. Needless to say, he (or was he currently a she?) were pretty confused. "This is all I know from here. I never played before." stated the cursed one.

They all sighed. "Then how the heck are we gonna save the internet?!" panicked Ryouga, realizing all his "sexy" pics of Akane would be lost.

Suddenly, they overheard two players chatting. "I heard there are two players that look different from normal players." A Heavy Axe-man commented, rubbing his head, though due to this computer's graphic card, the gesture went through his head.

The Long Arm with him made a laugh gesture for some reason. "I heard. The first one is a boy in red; I think he's a Twin Blade, so he's probably a newb, while the second one is a girl in purple, and strangely enough, a blademaster. Some say they have really weird skills."

The random snooping and technically violation of privacy gave Ranma's lofty group a strange sensation. "Maybe those two players mentioned the viruses! That has to be it!" Ukyo guessed.

However, at least one member of the group was rather confused by this. "We shall look for bad virus people?" asked Shampoo.

No one else noticed this strange idea, and instead actually agreed with her rather than questioning further; odd, really. "Wonderful idea!" cried Mousse. In retaliation, Shampoo hit him with her sword as the freak of man poofed out of existence.

I feel that it needs to be pointed out. Before anyone thinks that these characters were actually hurt, all damage caused to them is happening to their gaming avatars, rather than their actual personages, unless specified. That being said, any damage done on them cannot hurt them, meaning slapstick is expected!

"Wha- what happened to Mousse?" gulped Ranma.

The rest of the party was disturbed by this, too; I think the bigger disturbance, however, is how they were all logged into the game at once in a small place like this. "You're the one who knows the most about this game," Akane said, giving Ranma a look.

Then, just as it happened, Mousse reappeared, blinking for a few seconds before winding down. "Buddy, you all right? What happened?" asked Ukyo.

His avatar randomly did a jig; he was trying to scratch his head again, but he typed the wrong emote code. "I blanked out, but then I logged in again and I was back. I guess that happens when you die," Mousse stated.

While the explanation he gave was pretty standard for video games, it was most definitely not when it came to real life. Unfortunately, one of our fellow cast members didn't distinguish this difference in realms. "Mousse die?" said Shampoo, sounding a bit confused.

Some of the others got understandably annoyed at the woman. "You stabbed him with your **_sword_**! How can he **_not_** die?" yelled Akane.

Seeing that the situation was quickly getting out of hand, one member of the brigade quickly took the home plate. "Do you suppose we split up and get this virus?" asked Ryouga, admonishing the sight of a Shampoo trying to make a scratching gesture within the game; I don't know how, but she succeeded at it.

"For once, you're using your brain," mumbled Ranma, the snarky one in the large group.

"What was that, Ranma?"

"Nothing."

With that, the six of them decided to split up. Mousse ended up in charge with one of the groups, consisting of both Ryouga and Shampoo. They decided to head to Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field (they wanted to question the funky name, but chose not to) to begin leveling up to fight the supposed viruses.

"Man, I hope we find something."

"Me too, Ryouga," said Mousse. You may question why I didn't specify who spoke above. Well, if I did, it would spoil the fun. Remember those shenanigans I spoke about before? Well, I wasn't lying, was I?

"Ryouga? In The World, I am called Yukio," proclaimed Ryouga, looking as proud in the virtual world as he did in real life.

Mousse tilted his head in dire confusion; what on Earth does that mean? However, as though a rock hit him directly in the head, he remembered that they actually made names for this game. "Ah, that's right! In The World, I'm called Qiao!" proclaimed the man, stomping on the ground with one foot, pulling off a pose reminiscent of the great kings of lore.

Shampoo, however, burst into laughter."What is so funny, Shampoo?" asked Mousse.

The girl was laughing as much as she was purring. "What Yu Jie find funny? Is name Qiao. Mousse no handsome." she continued to laugh along with Ryouga.

This clearly did not please the man. "Shut it, Yukio!" growled Mousse.

"Ok…_Qiao_~. Oh man, my sides!"

"It's not Cue-ee-ow! It's ch-ee-ow! Hear the difference between 'cue' and 'ch'!" yelled Mousse.

The cat-like woman slapped her knee. "Yu Jie find funny," she laughed.

In order to gain the advantage in this randomly placed war of names, Mousse had to come up with a counter-joke. "Yu Jie; the perfect name for you, Shampoo!" he praised.

His joke may have worked in the end, but he made a grave mistake; he decided to say her real name, which was already established as a naughty no-no. "Is called Yu Jie," Shampoo yelled, and tried to hit Mousse with her sword. Man, look at those numbers fly! I think I saw a critical hit!

Ryo-Yukio was realizing the horribleness that he had supported. "At this rate, we're never gonna get some info in this area…" he muttered. Suddenly, his eyes were removed from the bickering duo, and were soon laid upon a group of players chatting. Curious, he decided to eavesdrop.

"Some say some weird characters were seen here. One of them is a monster," Fina34, a Twin Blade, had begun once Yukio started listening.

The other player gulped. "What does the monster look like?" Dena, a Heavy Blade, asked in return.

The Twin Blade placed a finger on their chin. "The monster looked like it was made of stone, and had a really weird red wand. Not only that; it was chasing a girl!" Fina34 replied.

"A-A girl?" Gallian, the Blademaster of the group, asked confusedly.

Fina, who had to be the leader of the pact, jumped in front of them with glee evident everywhere. "Yeah! She was white as snow: hair, clothes, everything! She had no arms or legs, I think, and she moved without making a sound!" she described what she heard.

_'A girl in white and a monster with a red wand…?'_ Yukio thought as he walked back to his group. He managed to stop the bickering Shampoo and Mousse, who were literally about to kill one another, both here and in real life. "I got some info. I overheard three players talking about a girl in white and a monster with a red wand."

Well, that was certainly the lead they needed. "Is it true, Yukio?" Mousse questioned.

Our current main man shrugged. "I dunno. We should check the dungeon in this area."

With a jump, Sham-Yu Jie bursted with verve. "Maybe Girl in White and Monster with Red Wand lead to bad virus people?" she guessed.

Our two main heroes right now did not expect that sort of answer. "Maybe you're right, Yu Jie! Once we destroy the bad virus people, we'll be hailed as heroes of Nerima. Hell, maybe the world and 'The World'!" Mousse praised, hearing an audible drum in the background.

While this praise was genuine, the cat lady did not enjoy it one bit. "Yu Jie still doesn't like Qiao…" Shampoo glared at Mousse, her eyes filled with sickest of all disturbances.

The poor sod began to cry, and begin muttering out, "Why do you like that fool, Ranma, over me?"

Oh god, not this again. "Let's just go…" Ryouga moaned, hoping to get this game over with. Besides the countless number of laggy moments with the "tough-guy" points, the whole quarreling was not what he paid for.

**_Back to Ranma and his group…_**

"Hey Akane, what did you choose for a username?" asked Ukyo once the group settled in.

"Hm, nothing. I just kept my name as is. What did you choose?"

"I chose Ucchan," Ukyo grinned along with Ranma.

He of current subject (?) decided to play along. "I chose Ran-chan." Both Ukyo and Ranma grinned. Once she realized the joke, Akane couldn't help but glare.

After the fun-parts were over, the group went back to being serious. "I wonder how we're gonna find them?" wondered Ranma, doing the famous Hiro Mashima depiction. Akane and Ukyo looked around with him, looking rather bored as absolutely nothing occurred at first. Everything just seemed quiet and muted, with the colors occassionally glitching out. Was this the servers for the game, or do our heroes need an upgrade to the computer? Probably both.

Suddenly, all three of them noticed Kite and Zoey talking to each other. Let's hear them, shall we?

"I found a great place to train on the Board. It's called Delta Crying Forbidden Forest, and it's level 11, so we can get good EXP from it." Kite suggested.

This wowed the Mew. "Sounds like a plan! Let's head over there now," Zoey smiled as she and Kite went towards the Chaos Gate.

Akane and Ukyo tried to get Ranma to start following them, but the main man was currently lost in thought of how to get him. Wait…what was he looking at?

"Ran-chan! The virus is going that way!" yelled Ukyo, realizing their leader was not even focused on the right thing.

However, their leader still thought he was correct. "No, I thought of that already," said Ranma, still thinking about something completely stupid.

Akane, in response to the word "Stupid", smacked Ranma over the head with her spear. "Ranma, you idiot, it's the virus right there!"

The boy looked surprised as he changed targets. Sure enough, Kite and Zoey were about to leave the area. "Hey you two! Stop!" Ranma ran as fast as he could to them. Though it looked like time was not on their side, he managed to quickly grab Kite's arm. Finally, some success for him today! Unfortunately, the result was much more hilarious. Kite, Zoey, and now Ran-chan were warped to Delta Crying Forbidden Forest.

"Ranma!" cried Ukyo and Akane in shock.

**_Back to Mousse and his group._**

Mousse's group was checking the dungeon where the Girl in White and the Monster with the Red Wand were spotted. "I don't see any Girl in White and Monster with a Red Wand in here…" Ryouga muttered.

Suddenly, Shampoo tensed. "Yu Jie hear something. Maybe bad virus people?" She got her sword ready, prepared to fight for her life. Ryouga and Mousse did the same, hoping that this was geniune, for if it were not, they would look pretty stupid right now. They were sweating virtual sweat, and their body shook in the strangest way possible. They are low-leveled, and don't know if the virus is strong or not. Out of the thicket of darkness creeped a shadow, and it started to get closer.

Then, it was the revealed that the shadow belonged to Balmung. "What are you players doing here?" the elite player demanded.

Even though he was asking a pretty good question, the party did not enjoy his tone. "Hey, we should be asking the same thing about you, bud!" Mousse countered.

Balmung did not falter in his stance, and instead laughed at Mousse's pathetic attempt at fighting back. "You must be newbies… Too bad, this area for newbies is currently under investigation. I just told the other players who were outside to 'Gate out' until the investigation is complete…"

Yu Jie quickly pounced in front of her party. "We looking for bad virus people, Mean Winged Man!" Shampoo frowned as she placed her hands on her hips and huffed.

The girl's interesting style made the experienced player laugh some more. "…It's best if you don't get involved… Cease searching for the virus. That's an order!" Balmung snapped.

With that random bit of authority, the party snapped back. "Who the hell are you supposed to be, asshole?!" Ryouga growled.

"I'm surprised newbies like you haven't heard of me… Fine, I'll tell you who I am… I am Balmung of the Azure Sky, one of the Descendants of Fianna! Leave now, 'till this area is done with the investigation." Balmung glared at Mousse's group before he used Gate Out.

Once he was gone, the party went to catch their breath. "Who was that guy?! Acting like he's famous or something…What nerve!" Mousse scoffed.

The weird antics of his friend made Ryouga feel at peace for the time being. "I don't know… Why does he want people to leave this area? It's a place for beginners." he scratched his chin.

"Yu Jie suggest we go back Root Town. Ranman-chan may know." Shampoo suggested.

**_With Kite, Zoey and Ranma…_**

"Let go!" Kite struggled as Ranma tightened his grip on the boy's arm. Zoey couldn't help but watch in shock as this new player interrogated her friend.

"Not until you tell me how you messed up the computers in Nerima! Then, I'll delete you two permanently!" Ranma shouted as he tightened his grip around Kite's arm. Really, threaten him in a terrible way? You can tell this guy wasn't the smartest at interrogation.

The boy, however, did not give the answer our newcomer was looking for. "I don't know! Me and Zoey can't be deleted! We need to help our friends!" Kite shouted.

Somehow, a strange logic entered Ranma's head, and this was the line that popped out: "So you two have friends, meaning you two are viruses!" Splendid, dear boy!

The Mew couldn't watch this anymore. "We're not! Listen to what we have to say!" Zoey reasoned.

"They are telling the truth." A familiar voice vouched for our heroes.

All three of them turned to look towards a strange being. "Huh?" was the general consensus. However, Ranma had the biggest reaction, with his face growing ever-so white.

"C-C-Cat!" he let go of Kite's arm and fell on his butt, stammering in fear. Compared to what he was about to do, our other two heroes couldn't help but chuckle, though they soon stopped this action once they recognized the person.

"Mia!" Kite shouted happily as the catgirl walked up to her new friends.

"Heya Kite, Zoey. What are you doing here in this forest area?" she smiled.

The two of them scratched their heads. "We were about to head here until a Heavy Axe-man grabbed Kite, and when we got here, he accused us of being viruses," Zoey pointed to Ranma.

"Oh, is that so?" Mia smirked as she walked up to Ranma who gulped. His memories of cats torturing him as a child came flooding into him. "Listen boy, I don't know who gave you this info, but the players Kite and Zoey are not the viruses you seek. Is that clear, Ranma Saotome?" she winked.

That last part scared him the most. "How… How did you know my name?!" Ranma gasped.

"Don't know, nor do I care." Mia shrugged like a boss before turning to her friends with a smile, and stated with a meow, "Tell Ranma everything that has happened, ok? Cya!" she winked again as she used Gate Out to leave.

When she left, the newcomer could barely breathe. "What the hell was that… cat talking about?" Ranma demanded. Kite and Zoey began explaining to their once almost-killer about the events that have happened, and some that _may _happen, about the Girl in White, the Monster with the Red Wand who used Data Drain to put poor Bridge and Orca into a coma, and the friends they met and befriended.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know that the Monster with the Red Wand put your two friends into a coma…" the newcomer repeated my damn lines.

"That's ok. That's why we're searching for the Girl in White. She may hold the answers we need," Zoey smiled.

"And also," Kite tightened his fist angrily, "defeat the bastard who put our two friends into a coma…"

With that, Ranma couldn't help but laugh. "Sounds like you two are determined to use those bracelets you got from the Girl in White to save them. If Akane were to fall into a coma because of the Monster with the Red Wand, I would be hell-bent on revenge, even without the power of Data Drain." He soon stood up and smiled at Kite and Zoey. "Kite, Zoey… Allow me and my friends to aid you on your quest to find the Girl in White." He stated.

The next line could be eskewed as essentially surprise, but to many, it sounded more like he was being a douche. "You have friends?" Kite asked. Did you hear that? Ah, Ranma didn't, so it's all good.

With the party fully agreeing with one another, they began waving their arms in happiness. "Let's head back to Root Town to meet them." Zoey suggested. Kite and Ranma nodded as they used Gate Out to leave.

When they got to Mac Anu, standing on the bridge was Akane and Ukyo. "Ucchan! Akane!" called out Ranma happily. Ukyo and Akane turned to the call of their names."Look who I found!" Behind Ranma stood Kite and Zoey, who both waved like the good children they were.

"The viruses!" Akane was about to attack until Ranma stopped her and began telling Kite and Zoey's stories.

After that, the rest of Ranma's party was deep in thought. "So that's what happened… Sorry about accusing you two of being viruses, and sorry about the whole falling-into-a-coma thing…" Akane apologized, "I'm Akane, and this is Ucchan." Ukyo smiled as Akane waved. Zoey replied with an earnest hello.

Mousse's group arrived at Mac Anu last. They saw Kite and Zoey and were about to attack, but Akane and Ukyo stopped them. "Why Akane and Ukyo stop us from hurting bad virus people?" Shampoo demanded.

"They're not the ones we seek. Currently, they're trying to find a girl in white who holds the answers of why their two friends fell into a coma." Akane explained.

"I never heard of people falling into a coma while playing this game!" Mousse gasped in shock.

This drew anger into the boy's eyes. "It's because of the Monster with the Red Wand. He's the reason Bridge and Orca are in a coma…" Kite frowned.

"I heard players talking about that monster, but they haven't seen it." Ryouga stated.

With that, Ranma's group had to describe why they were here as well. "We came to The World because something is causing our computers in Nerima to go on and off at the same time. It's back to normal according to an email from my sister, but who knows when it'll start again." Akane stated.

A gasp was heard from the Mew. "Could the Monster with the Red Wand be behind this somehow?" Zoey wondered as she placed her hand on her chin in thought.

Luckily, the douchebag of the group was fully prepared to look powerful. "Not to worry! I, Mousse, will help Kite and Zoey save their friends and defeat the fiendish Monster with the Red Wand. And, just as an added bonus, earn Yu Jie's love, and she'll dump Ranma and-ow!" Shampoo bopped the proud man in the head with her sword.

"Yu Jie still doesn't like Mousse being show off man."

Kite and Zoey stared at what happened. "Are they always like this?" Kite asked Ranma.

"Trust me, if you go to where we live, strange and crazy things happen there all the time." he muttered back. After exchanging member addresses with Ranma and his friends, they decided to stop for the day and go back into The World tomorrow to find out more info.

To be continued…

**Next chapter: The Spiral Edge**

**A/N: Next chapter will be the appearance of that lovable and klutzy newbie, Natsume! So stay tuned!**


	8. The Spiral Edge

**A/N: Bad news guys, Akkian is cut off from this crossover since I feel it doesn't have a role in Dot Hack Mew Mew, so I will replace it with Girls Bravo. On with the fic!**

**Chapter 8: The Spiral Edge**

**_The next day…_**

Zoey got home and checked her email. Once it loaded, the number 10 on top of an envelope blinked repeatedly, signifying some new messages. The first one is from Kite. The subject said "Crazy day yesterday," and it read:

**"Yesterday was strange, but we got Ran-chan and his friends to help us out. Great, huh? :)"**

Zoey replied with, "Yeah. They are nice, and they're trying to find out what's going on in their home country of Nerima. According to Ran-chan, it's crazy, so I don't want to go there." With that, the "send" button was pressed with vigor.

Zoey read Ranma's email next. The subject said "I believe you two," And if you would be so kind to sit back down, I shall state that it read:

**"Whoever is causing problems in Nerima and making people fall into comas is gonna pay, big time! Let us know if you need any help. By the way, my real name is Ranma Saotome, if you recalled what that cat player said earlier."**

Zoey smiled, though she was admittedly freaked out, and replied with "Of course. I hope we get along well." She sent the reply, the "Send" button preparing for the abuse to keep happening. She read Akane's email soon after. The subject was escribed with plenty of hearts for some reason, with the words being "About us," and it stated rather boldly:

**"Did Ranma cause you any problems? I'm sorry for his behavior. Anyways, I'm 15 years old and in my second year of high school at Nerima High. I'm one of the daughters of the Tendou Martial Arts School. My dad is really crazy; he drives me nuts! :l What about you? How old are you, and what year are you in?"**

Zoey smiled nervously and sweat dropped. She replied with "I'm sure your dad's not _that_ bad. I'm in junior high, 8th grade, at Shion Junior High and Senior High School. I was once into gymnastics, you know? I have a part time job at Café Mew Mew. If you by any chance go there, I will show you the café's best menus." She sent the reply.

The send button pleaded for this to end, but there were still plenty of new mail. Zoey checked the fourth one next, which was from Ukyo. The subject said "I run a restaurant" and it read:

**"I run a restaurant in Nerima and get some good customers, namely Ran-chan. Did I ever tell you that I'm in love with Ran-chan since we were kids?"**

Zoey looked at Ukyo's email oddly and replied with "Um… No. Why?" She sent the reply.

She read the fifth email and it was from Ryouga and the subject said "I get lost easily." It read:

**I get lost easily in Nerima because of my lack of directions. I also have a fierce rivalry with Ranma since what he did to me in the past. I can tell you, but do not tell Akane, I beg of you! PS, I really, really, really like Akane."**

Zoey chuckled nervously and sweat dropped again as she replied with "What did Ran-chan AKA Ranma do to you in the past, Yukio? Ran-chan is really nice." She sent the reply.

She read the sixth email, from Shampoo. She was confused by the subject of Shampoo's email called, well, "Shampoo!" It read:

**"Shampoo AKA Yu Jie is Ranma's future wife! Shampoo do anything for Ranma to love Shampoo! What about you, Zoey? Who you love at Big City Tokyo?"**

Zoey blushed madly at the intimate question. She replied with "Um… I don't know yet… I'll tell you later…" She sent the reply.

The seventh email was from, aptly enough, Piros and the subject said "Questions" It read:

**"Girl of destiny. I like to ask you a question… How I want to be young again. Is dreaming to be young again hip right now? I will gladly accept any answer you may give me."**

Zoey sweat dropped again and replied "Um… I think being young again is being hip right now. I dunno." She sent the reply.

Zoey read the eighth email and it was from Kagome. The subject said "About me." It read:

**"I'm in middle school and I have a mother, grandpa and little brother named Sota. My father passed away when I was young. I'm good at archery and I have a shrine which I will tell you about later."**

Zoey replied with "That's sounds pretty neat! I'd like to go visit it sometime when I get the chance." She sent the reply.

The ninth email was from BlackRose and the subject said "Exercise" It read:

**"You shouldn't stay in the house and play video games all the time. You'll never be beautiful if you do that. Go outside and exercise some more, ok?"**

Zoey replied with "Sorry. I wanted to help Bridge, but you're right about one thing. I need to get out more. Do you enjoy outdoor activities?" She sent the reply.

The final email is from Mousse and the subject said "Rare Item!" It read:

**"I found a topic in the Board where an awesome-as-hell weapon can be found! With it, just with it… I can impress Yu Jie finally! I'm inviting everyone there! So bring Kite and whoever you wish to bring!"**

Zoey looked at Mousse's email in question. Shrugging, she went to The World and got to the Board. She found the topic Mousse was talking about. It said Weapon Information and it was from someone named Natsume. The subject is 'Spiral Edge' and it read:

**I can't find the Spiral Edge. Can someone please help me? I know I have to look for it myself, but I really don't want to. Thank you."**

Someone named Sister Ken replied with:

**"Spiral Edge is located at Delta Raging Passionate Melody. But the monster there is strong!"**

Natsume replied with:

**"Thank you very much! I'm going to head over there now! Wish me luck!"**

_'She must be a newbie. She can't get that treasure by herself! We got to help her!'_ the Mew thought to herself as she sent Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, and Kagome emails to meet her at Mac Anu with the keywords she learned.

With that, she logged into The World. Once the loading screen finished, she saw Ranma and his gang waiting for her. Soon after that little tidbit, Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, and Kag logged in as well. However, it was clear that, due to the large abundance within the party, a few of them were understandably lost, and thus they all stared at each other. The young Mew chuckled, and took her role as the ruler. "Let me introduce everyone."

Everyone was introduced and member addresses were exchanged; yadda yadda, the same old thing. They got right down to business. "I heard from Zoey there's a rare weapon at Delta Raging Passionate Melody. I hope it's a wand!" Mistral drooled.

Unfortunately, the wonderful man of the Ranma brigade cut her excitement off. "Sorry, Mistral, but it's a Twin Blade weapon, and with it, I can-"

"A player named Natsume needs that weapon, so I think we should get it for her, buddy." Kite interrupted Qiao.

Mousse gawked in shock. "W-What?! But I saw it first!"

"Sorry, Qiao, But that Natsume player posted info about it first, and she defiantly wants it; did you_not _see the exclamation points? So, we just have to remain chivalrous, and help her." Ukyo stated, folding her arms to a strange beat within the heart. Mousse shed anime tears as he wailed.

BlackRose, who finally decided to log back in, rubbed her little chin. "I have to agree with Uuchan on this one. We got to help Natsume out." she nodded, still confused by the overabundance of people here.

The young cat-like human jumped for joy; man, those emotes really pay off! "BlackRose not get idea to have Ran-chan for herself!" Shampoo glared at BlackRose who glared back.

Akane had to admit that this brewing fight did make her feel, er, special inside, but she knew it had to be stopped this second. "Now, now, let's not start a scene here. Let's head on over to Delta Raging Passionate Melody." The young woman intervened. Once the tides had turned, almost everyone warped to Delta Raging Passionate Melody. Remember this keyword, folks: almost.

Ryouga logged in after they left and looked around for his friends. "Hello? Ran-chan? Zoey? Kite?... Akane? Everyone?" He called out as he randomly got lost, as he usually did anywhere else.

…

Delta Raging Passionate Melody was a Fire type field. Not soon after the parties arrived, they entered the dungeon.

They saw a 15-year-old female Twin Blade who sported green hair on that little head of hers, and her body was clad in a blue one-piece outfit. Her dress is adorned with triangular patterns; blue symbols (the same one that appear on Kite's hat) appeared on her gloves and in the form of tattoos on her legs. Her eyes were completely shut, but she can still see somehow.

No one could tell if she was sad or not. "Something wrong?" Zoey asked the Twin Blade in concern.

The girl still didn't open her eyes (graphical glitch?), but she did acknowledge the fact that Zoey stood near her. "I went right into the dungeon because I wanted the Spiral Edge, but I got scared and ran away." The Twin Blade sighed.

This bit of information awakened the thoughts of the group. "Are you Natsume by any chance?" Kite asked.

They nodded, but her sniffles were much more powerful than any action. "Yes… Come on, Natsume. Be strong! That's why you started this game!" Natsume slapped herself to cheer up. The party quickly went through their introductions, and as the girl still cried, they walked over to the entryway. Thinking of a brilliant way to help Natsume, they decided to go into the lower levels of the Dungeon.

The parties fought many monsters, including Misty dragoos, monstrous Tamao-chans, and the nefarious Aluminum Clank; all fell to their wondrous strength. The resulting victories caused their XP bar to jump for joy, as each character leveled up 3 times. Eventually, they reached the final floor and got to the Gott statue. Kite opened the chest and got the Spiral Edge. "Perfect. Now let's give this to Natsume." The boy stated, acting like the young hero of virtue and justice. However, his ears most likely caught the sound of Mousse moaning about failing to impress Shampoo; luckily, just like everyone else, he ignored him and went back to where Natsume is.

…

Kite eventually walked up to the new girl. "I believe this is what you're looking for, right?" he smiled as he gave Natsume the Spiral Edge.

The girl gasped in shock and awe. "Wow! You found the Spiral Edge? And…you're giving it…to me?!" Woah, that sappy music didn't take long to register. "Thank you so much! But I can't give anything in return since I have nothing to repay you with." The girl looked down in disappointment, accidentally thinking for about 20 seconds (she was good at keeping time) until she got an idea.

"21… How about we exchange member addresses?" Natsume smiled, which made Kite blush. BlackRose, who suddenly remembered that she had some strange feeling within her that activated whenever this boy was around, looked at the young man with rage embedded into those eyes, but her mood did a 360 before anyone could notice.

"Nice to meet you, Natsume. Name's Kite, and this is Zoey." He smiled as he gestured to Zoey, who waved in a courteous manner.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm so glad we met each other," she smiled as she hugged Kite, which made him blush like a red tomato (and you know how red tomatoes are). BlackRose grit her teeth, as well as Zoey (though for a different reason; I wonder what it was? Had nothing to do with Kite, randomly), but both calmed down and sighed.

Natsume exchanged her member address with everyone, as they did the same. "Call me again if you need my help or want to go adventuring. I'll do my best!" she smiled as she exited.

"Well, all's well that ends well." Ranma smiled, glad to see that his character was looking different with all that new loot.

The young girl beside him yelped in delight. "Yep! It feels goods helping people in need." Mistral grinned as she placed her hands behind her head.

"Let's call it a day then." Akane smiled, not liking the graphics of this particular dungeon; don't ask, readers.

The Mew nodded with understanding, though she was not willing to do the same. "You guys log out. We need to restock supplies for our next adventure." Zoey smiled. Everyone nodded as they all logged out, Kite and the mew notwithstanding. Soon, both "Gated out" and were transported back to Mac Anu.

However, when they were back in the sanctuary, they saw a figure approaching them; it was none other than the Great Balmung!

Let's just say that he is not too happy to see them. "We meet again… Well, it appears that you know Orca, correct?" Balmung looked at Kite coldly.

"Kn-Know him?! He's the one who invites me to come here and play this game." The boy stated, trying to be calm.

The legendary player continued to eye him. "Then I must ask," Balmung folded his arms, "I have not been able to contact him since that event… What has become of him?"

The two younglings looked at one another, unsure of what to do. "Do you trust us?" Zoey glared.

"What you two say will determine that…"

Kite and Zoey recounted on how Bridge and Orca were data drained by the Monster with the Red Wand. Balmung, still looking as powerful as ever, couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I see… How much of that is true, I do not know…" he began to turn around, and with the swift movement of the cape, he said bitterly, "But you two better not dare to forget… That those bracelets' powers are the same as the one… that put Orca and Bridge into a coma!" he soon began to walk away in true cold form. Man, got to love disturbing, hammy people.

Kite and Zoey looked down. "You don't have to remind us of that…" the Mew muttered sadly.

Weirdly, though, a voice called out through the thicket. "You two don't have time to get depressed." The duo gasped as they turned around to see the White Hacker looking at them with a calm smile.

"W-Who are you?" Kite demanded as he got into a battle stance.

The mysterious woman decided to be cliché-full today. "A friend… or perhaps an enemy…" The White Hacker snickered as she bowed politely before continuing. "A meddler with a warning and a prophet with guidance…" The White Hacker walked up to the grand two-party of children.

The Mew suddenly recalled a conversation she had with her old friends. "Are you Helba. _The_infamous Helba?" Zoey gasped in shock.

The girl only sighed to this. "Infamous is such a hurting word. I'm just doing my job. I will explain to you about virus cores and how you can get them." Helba smiled as she explained to Kite and Zoey that there are different types and letters of virus cores, and that they can get them by Data Draining monsters that are not Data Bugs as well.

"Now that we got that aside, I must warn you two; beware of Lios." Helba stated.

"Lios?" Kite and Zoey asked at the same time.

The mysterious woman laughed, though it was so silent, you could never tell it actually happened. "Lios is on the side of the System. With those bracelets, you two will be treated like viruses, but don't worry; as long as you continue to hold them and maybe convince Lios, you'll be fine, and be able to save your friends." she smirked as she gave them a virus core.

"You're thinki:_ 'How does she know?_,right? Also, Zoey… I know who you really are; you're much more than an average schoolgirl in real life. But don't worry, I won't expose it to the world." Helba did some calming hand gestures with a calm smile. The Mew's eyes widened in shock; Helba knew her secret!

"It's not that hard to imagine… Like I said…" she got close and personal towards the two players (Kite yelped; Zoey oddly didn't react), and smirked. "Someone is always watching you…"

They realized she was starting to leave. "W-Wait a minute! Why are you helping us?" Zoey demanded.

"Yeah, you're a notorious hacker wanted for the crimes you did in the past." Kite nodded in agreement.

"Helping you?" Helba laughed for a bit before continuing with this: "Who knows? You two might be helping me in saving both the real world and The World. Beware, though; the path between reality and three anime showsin the real world are about to be opened. Take care, and good luck…" she smiled as she apparently logged off.

Kite and Zoey were silent about what the mysterious woman told them. Just who is she?

To be continued…

**Next time: Login Bravo**

**A/N: Next up, the Girls Bravo gang will play The World and Kite, Zoey and the gang will come to their rescue in a level 13 dungeon, so stay tuned!**


	9. Login Bravo

**(A/N: Girls Bravo will take place after Girls Bravo Season 1, but before Season 2.)**

**Chapter 9: Login Bravo**

Zoey was at school, thinking about what Helba said to her in The World.

**_'Someone is always watching you…'_**

_'Can Helba be trusted? I wonder what Kite thinks about this…?'_ the Mew had to think, shuddering at what the implications could have been. Luckily, she wouldn't have to wait for a long while, for the school bell finally blasted her maiden tune, meaning school had finally ended.

She went to work, the day simply dragging on around her. She was lost in thought as she slowly wiped the tables. "Hey, Zoey…" Corina Murbucks walked up to her friend, "You're not your usual complaining self again. Please, tell me what's wrong! I hate seeing you like this, you know? Everyone's concerned about you. Something up?"

"…" Zoey was silent for about 30 seconds until she finally spoke with "31. I'll tell you everything…"

The Mew told the other everything; about the Girl in White; the Monster with the Red Wand who is responsible for Bridget and Orca's coma; Kite and BlackRose from "the World"; their powers of Data Drain which they used to save Balmung; and Helba, who knows about the powers of Data Drain and Zoey's secret…

"So, the legendary hacker Helba knows about these Data Drain powers you and your online friend has, and somehow knows you're a Mew Mew…" Corina had a serious look on her face for a moment until she smiled and said, "I think you should trust Helba and the power of Data Drain."

Wait, why would she say that? "Huh?" Zoey looked up, equally confused as I was.

"Helba may be a well known criminal, but maybe she's really trying to do something good, and The World is the reason she's in there. As for Data Drain, I have no idea what they do, and how they put Bridget and this Orca into a coma, but you should use it to make the Monster with the Red Wand pay." Corina placed her hand on Zoey's shoulder.

The Mew was surprised by her friend's beautiful display of care. "Y-You're right! I won't rest until I find that fiendish monster, and make him pay for Bridget's condition. Thanks Corina, and sorry I worried you guys!" Zoey smiled as she and the other Mew high-fived each other.

Unbeknownst to them, Elliot overheard the entire conversation. He couldn't help but smile, and whispered to himself; "That's the Zoey I know and love… I just need time to admit my feelings for you, my lovely…"

**_Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokyo…_**

Yukinari Sasaki was at Mizuno High School, getting ready to leave with his friends, Miharu Sena Kanaka, and Kirie Kojima. It was then, though, that the shorthaired heroine decided to chat with the boy about something.

"Hey, Yukinari: did you order the package for The World yet?" Kirie smiled.

The boy was surprised that his childhood friend asked such aquestion. "Yes. It's should be here today." Yukinari stated.

The pink-haired girl with them grew confused, a question mark appearing above her head. "The World? You mean Earth? I didn't know you could order Earth from somewhere. Is Earth now edible?" Miharu smiled, being the airhead she is. She imagines herself eating the planet Earth, but her daydream was stopped by Yukinari's cheerful correction.

"N-No, Miharu, not the real world, The World is a MMORPG, which is really popular around the, well, world. MMORPG stands of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, in case you didn't know. I already ordered some packages of The World for Koyomi and Tomoka at home so we can play it. Relax, I didn't forget about you! They should be here today." The boy closed his eyes and smiled.

The girl nodded vigorously. "So what do RPGs do?" Miharu looked at Yukinari and Kirie confusedly.

Kirie took the role of the explainer. "Let me explain on behalf of Yukinari. Role playing games are where you go on an adventure to save the world, or even save a buxom babe. You fight monsters to earn experience points, or EXP for short, and when you got enough of it, you level up in stats and get stronger. You also get money from defeating monsters, and use it to buy better equipment, or you can find items in treasure chests. In The World, you have to sell treasure or equipment you don't use anymore to gain GP, the currency of The World." she had a bored smile as Miharu's eyes sparkled in delight at the thought of something new.

"Woah, cool! Then, I really want to play The World! Can we go home as soon as we can? Can we, can we?!" Miharu hopped up and down happily.

The boy laughed hesitantly. "Easy there, Miharu. We're going home right now. The packages should be there already."

Kirie gave a thumb up. "And the best part? That perverted bastard Fukuyama won't bother us while we're playing!" she grinned. Sadly, at least for them, Kazuma Fukuyama heard everything and smirked to himself. They really need to keep their conversations much quieter.

**_At the Sasaki Household…_**

"What is this?! This isn't Poyon merchandise!" Tomoko Lana Jude growled as she picked up a Neuro Goggle Set with a controller and a package of The World. Koyomi Hare Nanaka looked at the game's starter set, which consisted of a copy of The World, Neuro Goggles, and a controller.

"Yukinari-san, what is this? I have never seen anything like this in your world." Koyomi asked, curious on what the hell she was looking at.

"It's a popular video game called The World. You install it into your PC and use that headset called Neuro Goggles to play." The boy stated with a smile.

The little girl poked the glasses. "Can anyone play it?" Tomoko stared at the starter set.

The boy was starting to feel overwhelmed. "Of course! You can be an adult and base your character on your real world self if you want." Yukinari explained.

Tomoko thought about it for about 50 seconds until she smiled devilishly and replied "51. I'll give this 'The World' a try then." She didn't realize that saying "the" out of the blue was not needed, but the boy was too slow to correct her. She then ran up to her room and started setting it up.

"Um… Will I be okay in The World?" Koyomi stammered, afraid that the game would be like fighting evil creatures and terrifying situations. In other words, the vile disturbances otherwise known as **Man.**

The pink haired girl laughed quite beautifully. "Of course you will. It'll be fun!" Miharu smiled as she went to start up her PC (man, they're loaded) to install The World.

"O-OK then…"

**_Back to Zoey…_**

Zoey checked her inbox. She got new emails; three of them to be exact. The send button began saying its prayers as the Mew read the sender, who happened to be Natsume. The subject said "Bio," and it read:

**"Real Name: Natsume Oguro; 9th grade; 15 years old. I'm a librarian at Musashi Junior and Senior High School. I started the game to change myself. I'll probably cause lots of trouble, but thanks for having me on your team."**

Zoey, feeling quite adventurous, replied with, "Real Name: Zoey Hanson; 8th grader at Shion Junior and Senior High School. I'm a part time waitress at Café Mew Mew. Do you know Kite? He goes to the same school as you." She sent the reply; the button never knew what hit him.

The boy that was named in the previous message happened to be the messenger in the next one. The subject said "About what Helba said," and it said:

**"I was thinking about what Helba ****àsaid****ß to us when we first met her… Can we trust her? She's a well-known hacker in the real world, and I'm pretty sure she's just a terrorist; But why is she helping us?"**

Zoey gave the question some thought, before flexing her fingers and typing; "According to a friend of mine at work, maybe we can trust her. So, let's pass the time by playing in The World till new info is up." She sent the reply, hurting that button both physically and emotionally.

The final email happened to come from Ranma himself, and though it was digital, it was clear that it was tense. The subject said "Current situation in Nerima." And with a hearty deep breath, Zoey read out loud:

**"So far, the internet in the island of Nerima is still normal, but for how long, I don't know. How are things in Tokyo?"**

"Everything's normal in Tokyo. I hope we find a lead soon." Was the reply she sent to Ranma. After realizing that her send button was completely damaged for now, she sighed, and went right into the game.

**_The World, 1 hour before Zoey logged in…_**

Yukinari logged in after finishing the creation of his character. His avatar for the game was like his real world form, only he now had red hair, symbols painted on the sides of his face ,and wore red clothes with purple triangles on it; in other words, he only _thought_ it looked like him. He chose the Blademaster class, and was thus stuck with the crappy starter weapon.

Once everyone was in the game, they could only look around in awe. "The World is different from our world. CC Corp did a good job creating this game." The boy had to say out loud, looking about in total awe. Then, just as he was marvelling the world, Miharu logged in. She looked like her real world form, only without her birthmark on her forehead. However, the thing that stuck out most about her was that she was in a pink revealing witch's costume, with a two-pointed sided hat on her head, and a wand similar to Elk's being her chosen weapon. Yukinari couldn't help but gawk in shock!

"M-Miharu?! Why did you create that character?!"

The airhead smiled towards him, completely oblivious to how awkward she looked. "I saw in an article that women prefer to wear sexy clothes in RPGs before I installed the game. I picked it up on the way home." The boy wanted to accept this answer, but he just didn't know how to interpret it.

As the boy and the girl looked at one another, Kirie finally decided to show. She was a Heavy Blade that looked like her real world form, only now her hair was longer, which was apaprently the only physical difference. Her clothing consisted of a purple tube top usually seen on stupid, Medieval shows, complemented with a black skirt. Her undies were pink, and her boots were yellow, completing the oddity that was her character..

The first sight she noticed was the pink-haired girl's clothing. "Let me guess… Miharu picked up something on the ground, and it happened to be perverted…" Kirie sweat dropped.

The boy laughed, not sure how to properly emote yet. "Y-Yeah."

The girl could only shake her head. "I thought so… But it would be rude to ask her to delete that character and start over," she started to walk around the area, not really caring about the fact that there was a crack in the floor, one that she almost fell right into. "Kirie is my character's name like my real world name."

Miharu was completely oblivious to what was going on, but that question at least made it into her head. "I chose Mi-Mi. Does it sound cute?" Miharu exclaimed cheerfully.

Yukinari laughed, trying his best to keep sane. "I'm YuYu now, at least in this game!" Yukinari smiled.

At this point, Koyomi and Tomoko logged in, their RAM not being up to par compared to other computer units. Koyomi looked exactly the same, the only difference being that her face had symbols painted on it. Her clothing, oddly enough, was in the style of a green samurai, spear to match.

Tomoko, however, looked completely different. Her character was a grown up, looked sexy as hell, and was clad in what had to be even more revealing than whatever the hell Miharu's outfit classified as. Dear god, how did we even afford those skin textures?

"T-Tomoka?! Is that you?!" Kirie gawked, perverted thoughts running through her head. _'What the hell has that kid done now?'_

"What's up? This is my character, Tomoka the Great! It sure looks sexy, eh Yukinari-san?" Tomoka asked in a adult and flirty voice, winking at Yukinari, who shifted nervously.

"Even so, you're… still a child in the real world."

The now-adult child puffed her cheek and looked the other way. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that…" she glared at him.

Koyomi looked around at Mac Anu in awe. "The World is far different from our world or Seiren. Is this what you called virtual reality?" she asked in astute confusion.

"Why, of course it is, Koyomi-san!" A perverted voice called out. The shy girl froze in fear. She knew that voice all too well.

"T-T-T-The demon man…"

Sure enough, it was Fukuyama himself, along with his sister Lisa, and her bodyguards, Hayate and Kosame.

Fukuyama's character was almost based around Kite's friend, Orca, only his face and body paint is red, and his clothing was mostly brown in color. He was shirtless, and appeared to be flaunting to every girl in the nation, though he was clearly not winning over anyone in the audience.

Lisa looked like her real world self, though she wore a revealing black witch's outfit (much like Miharu), and had on a red cape on her back.

Hayate's character is based on his real world self, with his character wearing black armor, and a face mask that almost resembled a certain, special player. Kosame's character is like her real world form, only she now wore green-blue bikini armor, the same coloring applying to the armored shorts, and pink boots on her feet. She wielded the big sword of a Heavy Blade, indicating her disturbing class. Her belly button has a sun-like tattoo around it.

Kirie flinched. "F-Fukuyama?! Lisa?! Hayate?! Kosame?! What the hell are you doing here in The World?!" She demanded, getting her sword ready to bash the idiotic pervert who caused them so much trouble in real life.

Fukuyama laughed and stated, "I'm a veteran here in The World. I'm known as Kazzy of the Azure God of Sexy Men!" He struck a perverted pose, complete with false clapping.

Kirie placed her palm on her face, just not accepting any of this. "Yeah right! I logged into The World before I mentioned it to my friends a few days ago, and there are only two legendary players in The World! Balmung of the Azure Sky, and Orca of the Azure Sea!" she pointed her finger at the perverted man. "There's no way in hell you would be famous here! Hell, you may be even infamous in The World, for your treatment of women!"

Fukuyama was taken back by this. Lisa ran up to Yukinari and shouted happily, "Yukinari-san! I'm glad I found you in The World!" She tackled the boy, causing him to somehow get hives in The World, which was apparently a status ailment in this world.

"Poor Yukinari…," Tomoko sighed as she shook her head.

The pervert shook his fist. "I-I-I can prove to you that I'm famous! I'll take you to a level 13 area that I know of, called Delta Final Destructive Burial Ground!" Fukuyama shouted.

The girl had no other choice. "Fine! Let's see that legendary player status of yours fight in that area." Kirie glared as they formed parties and used the keywords that Fukuyama had to warp to, well, the selected area.

Unbeknownst to them, Natsume overheard everything they said.

"Oh my God… Oh my God… What should I do? That Kazzy guy is lying. He's a newbie! Why did he make that fib up? Oh, what to do, Natsume?!" she quickly slapped herself and shouted; "Get a hold of yourself, Natsume! You'll need Kite and Zoey's help!"

…

An hour has passed since Zoey logged into The World. It was at that time Natsume ran up to her in panic. "Zoey! You got to help!" she pleaded in worry.

"Whoa! What's up?" Zoey attempted to calm her down.

Natsume took the time to catch her breath. "I overheard some players going to a level 13 area called Delta Final Destructive Burial Ground, and they're all newbies! They'll be crushed in an instant! Oooohhh…" she held her head in worry.

"Calm down, we can save them. I'll gather Kite, BlackRose, and Uuchan to help out, okay?" the Mew smiled warmly as she sent flash mails to those same people. Just like the mail itself, they soon all logged in.

"Zoey, what's up?" Ukyo asked.

The Mew clapped her hands. "Everyone, we got a situation in our hands. A bunch of players who are newbies went to Delta Final Destructive Burial Ground. They'll get slaughtered by the monsters there before even stepping foot in the dungeon." Zoey explained seriously.

Kite nodded at this. "Got it! We're almost to the same level as that area, so we'll form two parties. I, BlackRose, and Zoey will be the first party, while Natsume and Uuchan will be party number two." Everyone else nodded in agreement as they went to the Chaos Gate, warping them to the new dungeon.

…

Delta Final Destructive Burial Ground was a desert-like area, and the Girls Bravo group were being chased by an Ogre.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Koyomi screamed as she kept running, hoping that stamina didn't exist until the next patch.

Though they were running for their lives, Kirie still had time to vent. "Well, Fukuyma?! Aren't you gonna save us with that legendary player status of yours?!" she snapped at him.

Fukuyama gulped and sweat dropped, replying with, "Okay! I lied, so I can crave attention! I'm a newbie too, so are you fucking happy now, Kirie?!" he wailed.

"Never been better..." she smirked.

The rest of the group was losing hope. "YuYu! What should we do?!" Miharu panted.

He didn't want Miharu to get hurt, but he didn't have any other option other than to pray, which of course, he ended up doing. Luckily, his prayers were answered, as Kite and Zoey's parties arrived on the scene.

"That monster will kill them!" Ukyo gasped.

The Mew couldn't believe the situation. "…I have no choice. Everyone, weaken it so I can use Data Drain!" Zoey shouted.

The currently new girl grew confused. "Data… Drain?" Natsume asked.

Her question was disregarded as the party began their assault. "Calamity!" BlackRose leapt into the air and slashed the Ogre really hard with her sword. It wailed, but it prepared to fight back.

The party had to make sure the monster's preparations ended up futile. "Tiger Claws!" Kite wounded up like a tornado, and gave the beast some added heaps of, well, damage.

"Vak Dom!" Ukyo cast a fire spell on it, but it fizzed out in the end. "Hmm… So it's immune to fire spells. So how about Ra Rom?!" she cast an ice spell on it.

The words Protect Beak appeared around the Ogre, meaning it was ok to Data Drain. Zoey stared at the beast as she activated her bracelet.

To be continued…

**Next Chapter: A Lead?**

**A/N: Ooooh! Cliffhanger! What will happen next? Anyway, after our heroes recruit the Girls Bravo group, including Fukuyama, they go to Theta server to find out about the Girl in White, but can they find it? Then, after that chapter, Inuyasha and his friends, Sesshomaru and his group, Koga and his pack, Kikyo, and Naraku and his minions will be sucked into The World. Stay tuned!**


	10. A Lead?

Chapter 10: A Lead?

"Data Drain!" Zoey shouted as she activated her bracelet and fired it at the Ogre, reducing it to a low level monster, she got a Virus Core B. Kite quickly rushed in and killed the weak monster.

"Whooooaaaaaaa!" Natsume gasped in awe as she stared at what happened. "How… How did you do that, Zoey?!" Natsume asked in shock and awe. "That… was the power of Data Drain… Let's not talk about it here. Let's Gate Out to Root Town." Kite suggested to the Girls Bravo group who also saw Zoey's Data Drain powers. They nodded in hesitation as all of them Gate Out.

It is where at Mac Anu the parties and Girls Bravo group decided to introduce themselves.

"Now that we gotten out of that high level area. Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Kite." Kite smiled. "H-Hello… My real world name is Yukinari Sasaki. But in The World, I'm known as YuYu." Yukinari smiled nervously. Fukuyama snickered to himself just before Kirie bop him in the head with her sword, telling him not to laugh at Yukinari's character's name.

"My name is Miharu Sena Kanaka which is my real name. My character's name is MiMi. I hope you can eat in The World." Miharu closed her eyes and smiled, making almost everyone sweat drop. BlackRose while sweat dropping, wonders if you can eat virtual food in The World. She heard from a player that Grunty Food is also edible for humans, but she doesn't know that yet.

"My name is Kirie Kojima. But in The World, my character's name is my first real name, Kirie. I really hate perverts. I really do." Kirie smiled as she placed her hands on her hips. 'Remind me not to get on Kirie's bad side…' Kite sweat dropped.

"Um… My name is Koyomi Hare Nanaka… And I get frighten because of males, so please, don't come near me…" Koyomi shifted nervously. 'I wonder why she's afraid of men…' Zoey thought to herself.

"I'm the great Tomoka Lana Jude also known as the soon to be famous Tomoka the Great! But call me Tomoka for short." Tomoka struck a pose, earning her crickets and odd stares from Kite and his friends. Tomoka muttered "No respect… I get no respect at all in this fricking game…'"

Fukuyama let out a perverted laugh and struck a pose and shouted out loud "My name is Kazuha Fukuyama! Lover of women and soon to be better than any player in The World as Kazzy! Women like it when I touched them in their special spots and-gack!" BlackRose bashed Fukuyama in the head, knocking him out. "Too much information!" She growled, Kirie smiled, she's starting to look up to BlackRose.

"My name is Lisa Fukuyama, I'm Fukuyama's sister, in The World, I'm known as Liz and these are my bodyguards, Hayate and Kosame, in The World, they're known as Haya and Ko-Ko." Lisa smiled.

"Konichwa." Hayate bowed politely. "It's good to see you again, Kirie…" Kosame winked at Kirie who flinched nervously. Cutting this short, everyone introduced each other.

"Kite, right?" Kirie turned to Kite. "Yes?" Kite asked, wondering what Kirie has to say. "Your friend Zoey used some skill that reduced that high level monster to a weak one. What the hell was it? I have never heard of a skill that can turn high level monsters into low level forms." Kirie asked.

"Yes. This is unheard of." Yukinari agreed. Kite and Zoey sighed, they knew they have to tell them eventually. They told the Girls Bravo group and Natsume about Data Drain, the Girl in White, The Monster with the Red Wand and how he put Orca and Bridge into a coma with its own Data Drain skill.

"I see…" Kirie nodded seriously. "Oh my… That monster with the red wand has put two of your friends into a coma!" Miharu covered her mouth in shock. "And according to Kite, his friend Orca tried to defeat it, but he couldn't and he ended up being Data Drained." Lisa frowned.

"Yeah… That is why we need to find the Girl in White who originally gave Orca and Bridge the bracelets. She may be able to know something on how to wake Orca and Bridge from their comas." Zoey nodded.

Fukuyama got up and waltz over to Zoey. "Then let us work together on finding this Girl in White! It would be grand working with you and-ack! Hey! What are you doing?!" Kosame grabbed Fukuyama by the ear and dragged him away.

"Um… Thanks. So let's exchange member addresses." Zoey smiled meekly as everyone exchange member addresses. After that, they decided to call it a day and logged out.

The next day.

Zoey got home from work and turned on her computer. She got 2 new emails. The first one is from Yukinari and the subject said "About myself…" It read:

**"Thank you for saving us yesterday. I'll tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a 10th grader at Mizuno High, but to tell you the truth, I'm allergic to girls due to me being bulled by girls when I was young. Also, I'm sorry about your friend, Bridge falling into a coma because of the Monster with the Red Wand. Let's get stronger so we can take it down!"**

Zoey replied with "Oooh, you poor thing! I hope you overcome that allergy soon. Also, thank you so much. I hope we get along well." She sent the reply. She read the second email, it's from Ryouga and the subject said "Re: What did Ranma do to you in the past?" A reply to Ryouga's question about what Ranma did to him in the past.

**"Well, we first met when I got lost, but then, Ranma insulted me and we begin to fight. Just as I was about to win with my depression moves, Ranma knocked me into The Cursed Spring of Drowned Pig. Nerima is home to cursed springs that if you fall into a spring of a person or animal that have drowned a long time ago, you'll turned into that person or thing by cold water and the only way to revert back to normal is by hot water poured on you. Trust me, it's a sucky life, but Ranma fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl and he has some issues with that, I can respect that. But slowly, I started to forgive him for my condition. So don't tell Akane about this, OK?! Anyway, what's up on your side of Japan?"**

Zoey sweat dropped as she replied with "Everything's ok so far. I hope you find a cure for your condition as well as Ranma for his condition. I'm going to the Board in The World to look up some info." She sent the reply. She decided to go to the Board in The World.

She noticed the topic "Is this an event character?" has been updated. Curious, she selected it and gasped. It's a topic about the Girl in White! Someone named marin wrote:

**"marin saw her too. Girl in a white dress was chased by a thing with a red wand. Area: Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil. …I think. …But can't enter anymore. Why?"**

Zoey was silent as she studied the topic a little closer. She decided to select MISSING by someone named Meg and it read:

**"Haven't seen you in a while… Slightly worried. Alf, are you ok?"**

'A player named Alf is missing… Could he have met the same fate as Bridge and Orca?' Zoey though to herself. Suddenly, she got three new emails She returned to her desktop.

The first one is from… 'The Girl in White?!' Zoey gasped as once again, the Girl in White's message is garbled up. She couldn't make out what the Girl in White is trying to say. Something is very wrong. Zoey managed to make out that the Girl in White is worried about something.

The second one is from Kite and the subject said "The Girl in White" It read:

**"The Girl in White and the Monster with the Red Wand were discussed in the Board. They've been spotted at Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil. Gather some of our friends and I'll meet you there."**

'Kite saw it too…' Zoey thought to herself as she read BlackRose's email next. The subject said "Hey" and it read:

**"The Girl in White and the Monster with the Red Wand were discussed on the Board. They've been spotted at Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil. Let's head over to Theta Sever."**

"I'll better go too." Zoey said to herself as she puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

When she logged in, she sees Kagome, Ranma, Akane, Shampoo and Ryouga waiting for her. "Did Kite send you an email about the Girl in White?" Kagome asked. "Yeah, Kag. It seems she and the Monster with the Red Wand were spotted at Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil. This is our chance." Zoey smiled. "Alright, so how do we get to Theta server?" Ryouga asked. "I think we go there by the Chaos Gate." Zoey figured.

They used the Chaos Gate to warp to Theta server. Theta Server was like a rocky village only it's floating in mid-air above an endless sky. It is known as Highland City, Dun Loireag. "Whoa…" Zoey gasped in awe as she looked around.

"About time you guys showed up!" BlackRose huffed as she placed her hands on her hips. "S-Sorry about that, BlackRose." Kagome stammered. Zoey can see that Kite, BlackRose and Mistral were here.

"We're going to Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil, are we?! We're going to meet that event character!" Mistral jumped for joy. Kite and Zoey were silent as they nodded in agreement. Everyone warped to Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil.

When they got there, the snowy area looks corrupted. "Something's wrong… This is easy…" Ranma has a serious look on his face. "Way too easy…" Ryouga nodded in agreement with his rival. "Huh? Shampoo do not get why it easy. We find Girl in White and Kite and Zoey's friends wake from comas." Shampoo looked at her friends in confusion.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. We should see for ourselves if the Girl in White is there." Kite stated. Everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the dungeon.

The parties fought their way through the dungeons, they encountered tough monsters, but Kite, Zoey and their friends were tough as they beaten them. Kite and Zoey Data Drained some monsters and got some virus cores they can use for later. The parties made it to the end of the dungeon with good EXP and they managed to level up to 14.

But when they got to the end, they see an dead end. "Nobody's here. The Monster with the Red Wand or the Girl in White…" Kite frowned. "W-What?! Then that post was a fake after all?!" Akane shouted in frustration as she tugged her virtual hair.

"Was that a hoax? That can't be, right?" BlackRose stuttered in disbelief. "Something isn't right… But no sense in standing here. Let's head back." Kagome suggested, everyone nodded in agreement as they Gate Out to Dun Loirge.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Paths between Reality and Virtual

A/N: Next up, Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Sesshomaru, his group, Koga, his pack, Kikyo, and Naraku and his minions will be sucked into The World by Morgana's evil. So stay tuned!


	11. Paths between Reality and Virtual

Chapter 11: Paths between Reality and Virtual

**"…oey… Zoey…" **The Girl in White's voice echoed in Zoey's thoughts as she slept this night. Zoey was moaning and turning in her sleep.

**"She is about to tore open a portal between the Feudal Era of your world and The World. Some people from the Feudal Era will be sucked into The World. Some of them are good, some of them are evil. You must ally yourself with the ones with pure hearts from the Feudal Era… I beg of you…" **The Girl in White's voice stated as she faded out for now.

The sunlight shined on Zoey. She slowly opened her eyes and stood straight up and yawned. She looked at the window in her room. 'Did I hear the Girl in White's voice again in my dream? It can't be… She's from The World, until I know for sure she's from The World… What was it she's trying to tell me?' Zoey got out of bed and headed for her bathroom.

She unbuttoned her pajama shirt and placed it in the dirty laundry basket. She then took off her pajama bottoms and placed them in the basket. She took off her bra and panties and placed them in the dirty laundry basket.

Zoey was completely naked as she stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water.

Zoey washed herself with soap and then used shampoo to wash her hair. The shampoo soap began to fall down onto the shower floor as Zoey thought about the event yesterday. They still couldn't find the Girl in White, the girl who can answer their questions.

'Just who is the Girl in White…? And can she save Bridge and Orca?' Zoey thought to herself as she turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body and went to her closet and got dressed for school and work.

As she was walking down to school, she thought about the dream she had. A portal between the Feudal Era and The World? What does the Girl in White mean? She decided to put those thoughts aside as she starts the day like any other day.

(Meanwhile, in the Feudal Era…)

"Ugh!" Inuyasha growled. It's been a few days since Kagome left for the present and still she hasn't returned. He remembers she told them she needs to catch up on her school work, but enough is enough! He needs to go there, now to get her so they can continue on their journey to defeat Naraku now that he has the completed Shikon Jewel!

Inuyasha was about to head to the well till Sango stopped him. "Hold on there, Inuyasha! You don't want Kagome to say the S word on you again, do you?" Sango frowned.

"I'm not gonna get sat again! I'm just getting her since I'm worried she might have forgotten us due to that veedeeooo game, what's it called again, The World?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Kagome has important things in life than just traveling with us to fight Naraku, Inuyasha. You know that." Miroku stated, being the peacemaker he is as he drank his tea.

"Plus, only both you and Kagome can go to the present." Shippo added as he stuck his nose up in the air, just to prove his point. Inuyasha was about to hit Shippo on the head till he sensed something.

"Inuyasha, what's up?" Sango asked, sensing what is wrong as well. "I sensed… a dark power. But the odd thing is… It isn't demonic… and it looks like it came from another time." Inuyasha frowned.

Suddenly, a rainbow portal appeared. "What the hell is that?!" Inuyasha gawked as he and his friends were sucked in. The rainbow portal closed.

(With Sesshomaru)

Sesshomaru and his companions were traveling down a forest. Rin was sleeping on Ah-Un, Jaken was keeping watch. Suddenly, the same rainbow portal that got Inuyasha and his friends except for Kagome appeared and Sesshomaru and his group became its lunch.

(With Koga)

Koga and his pack were traveling as they're looking for the vile demon Naraku. Then, the same rainbow portal got Koga and his pack.

(With Kikyo)

Kikyo, the priestess brought back to life by an evil demon was wandering down a field with her spirits following close behind. Suddenly, Kikyo sensed something. '…Something's not right… Could it be Naraku?' She thought, then the rainbow portal appeared beneath her and she fall right in.

(With Naraku)

Naraku and his minions were prepared to leave the Feudal Era. Recently, the evil demon was contacted through space and time by an unknown evil entity from the future. Apparently, the evil entity is from an online game she told Naraku called The World. She told him if he helps her with her own goal, she will promise him power and to control Kagome's time.

Kagura looked at her master. "Naraku, are you sure you're willing to trust that… Person from the future?" She questioned. Naraku chuckled evilly and told her "She and I share the same goal… To control the world and she would make a fine ally in destroying the reincarnation of Kikyo and that mutt, Inuyasha. And that what she calls a video game called The World is perfect to put our plan into action. Plus, she has eight servants to destroy those weak humans with powers beyond this era's understanding."

Then, the rainbow portal appeared. "Ah, it is time for us to depart for The World." Naraku stated as he entered the portal, so did his minions which two of them have doubts about Naraku's mysterious new ally.

(Back in the present)

Zoey and Kagome were walking down the park. "So far, we didn't get any info on the Girl in White. So let's make up for it by going on a adventure, Ok?" Zoey smiled. "Right. See you in The World." Kagome nodded as they went to their homes to play The World.

Zoey checked her email. She got 3 new emails from Kirie, Tomoka and Natsume. The first one is from Kirie and the subject said "About me". It read:

**"Kirie Kojima which you already know when we first met. 10th grade student at Mizuno High. I know a thing or two about martial arts and I hate perverts, really fricking hate perverts. One pervert for example is Kazzy aka Fukuyama. I also wrongfully accuse my childhood friend Yukinari of being a pervert sometimes. (Sweat Drop) Thank you for saving us and me and my friends will do what we can to help your friend, Bridge and finding the Girl in White."**

Zoey replied with "Thanks. With friends like you, we can save both Bridge and Orca." She sent the reply. She read Tomoka's email next. The subject said "Hey" and it read:

**"You and Kite may be tough with those weird Data Draining powers, but it doesn't prove anything! Let me, Tomoka the Great aid you in beating the crap out of that Monster with the Red Wand and save your friends! XD"**

Zoey was speechless. 'Is Tomoka for real…?' Zoey thought to herself as she replied with "Um… Thank you, but you'll be no match for Data Bugs without the power of our bracelets. But I hope we work together again soon." She sent the reply. Finally, she read Natsume's email next. The subject said "I believe you." It read:

**"I don't know what's going on, but I believe you and Kite. Kite already told me about the Girl in White and how your friend and Kite's friend were put into comas by a monster with a red wand. I don't know how much a help I can be, but I'll do my best!"**

Zoey replied with "Thanks. I'm glad you understand the situation we're in." She sent the reply. Zoey looked at the time on her watch. "Got to meet Kagome in The World." Zoey placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World.

She logged in and saw Kagome, Kite and BlackRose waiting for her. "Looks like everyone's here." BlackRose smiled. "Right. Let's pick a place since this server is full of keywords that can make a strong area." Kite nodded.

They selected some random keywords and warped to a level 15 area, since it's a good place to gather some virus cores and good EXP and items. Good thing Kagome knows some healing spells due to her equipment she got from the previous area.

(A few hours later)

"Hiiiiiiiiiyyyyyaaaaaaaaa!" Zoey screamed as she slams her sword down on a plant like monster, killing it. A blue treasure chest appeared. Kite used Fortune Wire to disarm the trap and got some good Twin Blade weapons, claws for example. "Alright! These claws are better than my twin blades!" Kite smiled as he equipped them.

The parties got some good EXP and managed to level up to 17 in this wood like area. Plus, they already got some virus cores from A to C and managed to clear the dungeon.

"That was fun." Kagome closed her eyes and smiled. Suddenly, BlackRose heard some noises. "Hear that?" She asked her friends. The parties listen closely. They heard fighting and someone shouting "Wind Scar!" Kagome's eyes widen in shock.

"It can't be…" Kagome rushed to the source of the noise. "Kag, what's up?!" Kite gasped as he and his friends followed suit. When they got there, they saw Inuyasha and his friends fighting for their lives against some giants.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped in shock as she unsheathed her blade and blocked the giant's axe attack to protect Inuyasha. Inuyasha immedinatly sensed Kagome's aura in her character. "K-Kagome?! Is that you?!" He gawked.

"Yes, it's me! In The World, I'm known as Kag! But never mind that now! We got to fight!" Kagome shouted as she slashed the giant. "Twin Dragons!" Kite spins like a tornado and hit the giant for large damage, killing it.

"Crack Beat!" Zoey slams her blade down on the second giant, killing it as well. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango flung her weapon at the third giant, giving it some damage. "My Wind Tunnel is not working here! What's going on?!" Miroku gasped.

"Calamity!" BlackRose leaped into the air and sliced the third and final giant in half, causing its data to disappear.

Both the parties and Inuyasha and his group stared at one another. "Kagome! Is that really you?! And what the hell is with that outfit?! You looked ridiculous!" Inuyasha rudely remarked.

Kagome has an anger vein on her virtual forehead as she turned around and shouted "Sit Boy!" Inuyasha once again kissed his old friend, the dirt. "W-What the hell was that?!" BlackRose stammered.

Miroku walked up to BlackRose and told her "It would best if Lady Kagome were to explain that to you. Also, I have a question to ask you." Miroku held BlackRose's palm and said those famous words. "Would you do the honor of bearing my children?" He smiled.

BlackRose's face was red as a tomato, meaning she is both embarrassed and pissed off that this pervert asked her that. She punched the monk in the face, earning Miroku a blackeye. Sango walked up to him and dragged him away, saying "That's what you get, lover boy."

Shippo hopped into Kagome's arms and looked at the sky of The World. "Kagome, where are we? What is this place? It doesn't look real to me." Shippo asked Kagome his favorite questions.

"Kag, what's going on here?" Kite demanded. "Yes. How do these people know who you are in real life? They don't look like players to me." Zoey added.

"Um…" Kagome sweat dropped. "Let's… talk about it at town." She smiled nervously.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Deceit

A/N: Next time, Elk will lie to Kite and Zoey in an attempt to get their bracelets to have Mia's attention again, but his lie will be true! What happens next? Find out next time!


	12. Deciet

Chapter 12: Deceit

The parties along with Inuyasha and friends were backed in Dun Loireag . Inuyasha and Kagome's friends from the Feudal Era looked around in awe and confusion.

"What the hell is this? It doesn't look like any part of Japan I been through. It doesn't any endless skies from Japan." Inuyasha muttered as he looked around. "Um, Inuyasha, remember when I told you about The World?" Kagome stated as she pressed her fingers nervously.

Inuyasha's eyes widen in shock. "No fricking way… We're inside this veedeeooo game you told us about?!" Inuyasha's jaw dropped to the virtual ground. "Kag, who are these weirdoes? Especially the idiot who asked me to bare his children?" BlackRose gave Miroku a mean look. Miroku smiled nervously and sweat dropped.

Kagome sighed. There's no way out of this now. She had to tell the truth sooner or later. She turned to her online friends with a serious look and stated "They're… my friends from the Feudal Era."

Kite and Zoey's eyes widen in shock. "No way… You mean to tell me these guys are from the past?!" Kite gawked. "It's not possible… Is it?" BlackRose nearly dropped her sword in shock.

Kagome sighed as she sat down on the virtual ground, Shippo sat on her lap. "Believe it or not, time travel is possible through a well in my home. The well acts as a portal between the present and the Feudal Era." Kagome stated as she looked at the virtual sky of The World.

"But how…?" Zoey couldn't believe it. But then, she remembered what the Girl in White told her in her dreams about the Feudal Era and those with purity in their hearts arriving in The World… Does she meant Kagome's friends from the Feudal Era?

"What are your names?" Zoey asked. "Name's Inuyasha. As you know Kagome or Kag in this world, I'll tell you something. I'm a half demon." Inuyasha looked away, he sometimes hate to admit he's a half demon. With the Shikon Jewel, he can be human or a full fledge demon, but now Naraku has it and he now focus his efforts on destroying both him and the jewel now knowing that Naraku has it.

"Demons?!" BlackRose covered her mouth in shock. "So demons do exist?!" She stammered. "I'm a real live demon, so get used to it!" Inuyasha growled.

"And what about the other four, including that cat like monster?" Kite asked, he means Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara.

"My name is Miroku, a humble monk who is friends with Lady Kagome." Miroku bowed politely. "Humble monk my ass! You asked me to bare your children!" BlackRose was about to hit Miroku again till Kite stopped her. "No, BlackRose. We don't want to be rude to Inuyasha and his friends." Kite smiled. BlackRose sighed and stated with an anger vein on her forehead "OK…"

"My name is Sango, I'm a demon hunter and I see you already met Miroku." Sango glared at the perverted monk.

"I'm Shippo, I'm a fox demon!" Shippo smiled. BlackRose stared at Shippo and began to pick him up and cuddle him. "Oh my God… You're so damn cute!" BlackRose squealed.

"I-I'm not that cute!" Shippo blushed in embarrassment. "But one thing I don't get is… how did you managed to travel into the past, Kag?" Kite asked, wanting to know how Kagome was able to travel back in time.

"Well, it all started one day when I was looking for my cat. When I found him, a centipede like demon sprouted from the well and dragged me into the past." Kag stated as she looked at the virtual sky.

"A demon?!" BlackRose and Zoey gasped in shock. "Yeah. It's because it wanted the Shikon Jewel in my body." Kagome stated. "The Shikon Jewel?" Kite, Zoey and BlackRose asked at the same time. Kagome looked at Inuyasha who looked gloomy. She knew he doesn't want to be reminded of the tragic past, but she has to. Otherwise, her online friends wouldn't understand.

"I believe Sango will do a good job explaining what the Shikon Jewel is. You don't mind, do you Sango?" Kagome smiled. "I don't mind at all, Kagome." Sango smiled. "In The World, I'm known as Kag." Kagome grinned.

"Right. So in this world, I'll call you Kag for now on till we find a way back to the Feudal Era." Sango nodded as she cleared her throat. "The Shikon Jewel is known as the Sacred Jewel or the Jewel of Four Souls as some may call it. It has the power to create powerful creatures and also turn half breeds into full." Sango gave Inuyasha a worried look, Inuyasha looked at the ground sadly before nodding to Sango to continue.

"It was created in my village a long time ago and given to a powerful priestess to guard it." Her head turned to Inuyasha at this point. He looked gloomy right now, remembering the painful memories. "She died in an attack from Naraku but she managed to keep him away from the jewel. In the end she was cremated with the jewel and it vanished on the face of the earth. Well…that is until Kagome AKA Kag in this world arrived."

"Wow… It's like a tragic fairy tale…" BlackRose looked down in sadness. "But it seems so real if Kag was able to go back in time using her family's well…" Zoey added. "But who is Naraku? Why did this priestess was killed by him to protect the Shikon Jewel?" Kite wondered, now he is intrigued on Kagome's Feudal Friends.

Miroku knew it was his turn next. Who could blame him? Naraku has caused so many pain and deaths.

"Naraku is a terrible demon. He was born about fifty years ago from the evil in a human called Onigumo."

"But how can a demon be born from a human?" BlackRose asked, confused on what they're saying.

"No matter how evil a human is. It just can't be formed."

Miroku nodded. "Yes but not when you sacrifice your body to be devoured by hundreds of demons."

"!"

"Onigumo let himself be eaten by demons and somehow had created Naraku. Now Naraku has the completed Shikon Jewel and can use it whenever he wants." Miroku frowned. "Complete? What do you mean?" Zoey asked, curious on what he meant by completed Shikon Jewel.

"When I first met Inuyasha who was sealed into a tree because of Naraku's treachery of him and… Kikyo, I managed to unsealed him, but when we first met, he wanted the Shikon Jewel to be a full fledge demon." Kagome looked at Inuyasha who looked at the ground with his back turned, really sad. She can understand how Inuyasha feels about losing his first love.

"Anyway, a demon crow managed to engulf the Shikon Jewel and was about to fly away till I shot an arrow at it, causing the jewel to break into many pieces which scattered all over Feudal Japan. So that's why we have to get the Shikon Jewel back from Naraku before he uses it for his evil purposes or worse, use it to take over the world." Kagome stated seriously.

"You guys must really hate this Naraku guy. What else did he do?" Kite frowned.

"I have a cursed hand called the Wind Tunnel. My grandfather was a monk like myself. He was pretty much like me-"

"A lecher!" Sango interrupted, sounding disgusted.

"Yes, he was." he continued. "Anyway, Naraku tricked my grandfather, and lured him into a trap. Naraku disguised himself as a beautiful woman to get close to my grandfather, and then cursed his right hand. My grandfather started the wind tunnel, which in time, destroyed him. As you grow older, the hole of the wind tunnel grows larger and larger. And in time, destroys the person as well. My father died when I was still pretty young, and I'm really the last..."

"So that's why you're like that with women." Kite frowned. "You don't want your family line to die."

"That's still no reason to be a pervert!" BlackRose shouted angrily, still holding a grudge for that children one liner.

"What about you, Sango and Shippo?" Kite asked, turning to Sango and Shippo. "What did Naraku did to you?"

"Nothing to me." Shippo said quickly. "My father was killed by the Thunder Brothers. Inuyasha and the others help me avenge him and now I'm sorta paying my debt."

Sango, however, had a tear run down her cheek. "I have a younger brother named Kohaku. He was really kind and gentle, but he tried his best at being a demon slayer nonetheless. One day, we were sent on a mission to exterminate some demons at a castle. It was a trap set by Naraku and Kohaku was controlled by him…" She broke down in tears. Miroku took her in his arms and held her close, while NOT rubbing her butt.

"No…" BlackRose gasped, on the verge of virtual tears herself.

Kite closed his eyes for about 59 seconds then he opened them with a serious look. "This Naraku guy is lower than we thought. He is even worse than the Monster with the Red Wand…" Kite clenched his fists tightly.

"Monster with the Red Wand? What are you talking about?" Shippo asked, wondering what Kite meant by a monster with a red wand. Kite, Zoey, BlackRose and Kagome decided to tell them everything, about the Girl in White, the Monster with the Red Wand who is responsible for Orca and Bridget's comas and the powers of Data Drain.

Inuyasha stared at Kite and Zoey. At first, they thought he was gonna say "You're lying! There's no way you can do that!" But to everyone's surprise, he replied with "Sorry to hear your friends fall into a coma or something…"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha in surprise. Then, something hit her. "Wait, how did you guys enter The World? You guys looked real to me." Kagome asked, wanting to know how her friends got into The World with their real world bodies.

"We don't know, Kag. All we know that is a rainbow like portal appeared and sucked us into The World." Sango stated. "And to top it all, my Wind Tunnel wasn't working. Maybe it's because of The World?" Miroku scratched his chin in thought.

"And you know what else is strange? I don't feel hungry all of a sudden, like I'm never hungry at all!" Shippo added. "The runt is right for once. I don't feel hungry either." Inuyasha nodded in agreement with Shippo for once.

"I wonder how…" Kagome wondered that as well. She noticed something. "Oh no! I got to get back to my studies! I got to go! See ya!" Kagome bowed politely as she logged out.

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now?!" Inuyasha shouted, raising his hands in the air in frustration. "Well, players in the game may mistake you for new players, so since you're in The World, you're all at level 1. But you somehow know your skills from the Feudal Era, some of them worked except for Miroku's Wind Tunnel. So why don't you guys hang out here in this server and we'll be back, we promise." BlackRose stated as she logged out as well.

"I hope so." Sango sighed. "Why don't we head back to Mac Anu? Maybe we can learn something from Delta Server?" Kite suggested to Zoey. "Sounds like a plan." Zoey nodded as the two of them head towards the Chaos Gate and warped to Mac Anu, Delta Server.

(Meanwhile at Delta Server…)

Elk looked at Mia oddly and then said "Mia, you've been acting weird lately. Why do you care about those guys so much?" Elk asked in concern. Mia looked at Elk sternly and replied "What I do is none of your business, Elk…"

"Mia… Do you like that Kite guy?" Elk asked, feeling depressed. "Like him? What do you mean by that?" Mia raised an eyebrow to questioned Elk's behavior. "Mia, uh…uh…" Elk pressed his fingers nervously and blushed and stated "I like you…"

Mia was silent for a moment till she tensed. "What? What's this? I feel strange…" Mia stated as she ran off to who knows where. Elk sighed sadly.

1 hour later

Kite and Zoey appeared near the Chaos Gate in Mac Anu. They saw Elk waiting for them. He ran up to them and said "Hey! Can we all talk for a minute?" Elk asked. "What's up, Elk?" Kite asked with a smile.

"I have a favorite area, but it's been looking odd lately. It might have been caused by a Data Bug." Elk stated. Zoey stared at Elk. She got a bad feeling about this. "You two are the only ones who can help. The area is Delta Plenteous Smiling Hypha. Can you two come with me?" Elk asked politely.

"Sure." Kite smiled. "Um… Sure." Zoey agreed. "Thank you!" Elk closed his eyes and smiled. After forming their party, they warped to Delta Plenteous Smiling Hypha.

The party arrived at a lively area filled with yellow flowers. Kite and Zoey looked at the area, it looked fine to them.

"We don't see anything wrong with this place." Kite turned to Elk for answers. "I'm sorry. Actually, um… There's something I wanna ask you two…" Elk looked at them with pleading eyes. "…?" Kite and Zoey looked at him in question.

"I'll give you two every item I have. In return for- um… Can you two give me your bracelets?" Elk asked desperately and then pleaded "Please! I beg you two!" Elk pleaded desperately.

"If I get them… Mia will hang around with me again, just like we used to." Elk looked at the ground sadly. Kite and Zoey looked at Elk sadly. Suddenly, the screen flashed. "What the- What?! What's happening?!" Elk gasped in shock.

"Let's go to the dungeon. We might find something." Zoey stated seriously. The others nodded in agreement as they entered the dungeon.

Inside, they see the dungeon corrupted. Elk stammered as he looked at the corrupted area in horror. "This place didn't use to be like this. The lie I told is true…" Elk stammered. "Is that why you brought us here, all because of a lie to get our bracelets?" Zoey looked at Elk sternly.

Elk nodded sadly and "I lied to you two to get you two to come here, and now it's come true." Elk looked at the ground sadly. "Forget about it. We got to get to the bottom of the dungeon to find the Data Bug." Kite told him seriously. Elk nodded meekly as they pressed on.

Eventually, they made it to the end and saw Mia standing near a magic portal. "Mia! What are you doing here?!" Elk gasped. "Elk!" Mia gasped as the magic portal activated and it revealed a monster inflicted by the Data Bug. "Mia is calling me… Mia is calling me!" Elk gasped happily as the party rushed to her aid. The monster is called a Killer Snake.

"Rue Kruz!" Elk casted a water spell on the Data Bug, giving it some minor damage. "Crack Beat!" Both Zoey and Mia shouted out their attacks as they give the Data Bug some added hefty amounts of damage.

"Saber Dance!" Kite spins like a tornado and gave the Data Bug some bigger damage.

The Data Bug spewed out a poisonous breath that hit the party for medium damage. Kite and Zoey quickly administrated healing potions for everyone.

"Juk Rom!" Elk casted a spell that made a wood tornado appear and hit the Data Bug for large damage.

"Repth!" Kite casted a healing spell that healed Elk's wounds. Zoey charged at the Data Bug.

The Data Bug lashes its tail at her, but she dodged every hit and rushed in and slashed it three times.

Mia jumped onto the Data Bug's back and thrusts her sword onto its skin, giving it some pain. Kite leaped into the air and slashed it three times in the face. Mia managed to get off it before it can hurt her.

Kite and Zoey nodded to each other as they rushed in and attacked the Data Bug at both sides, giving it some large damage. The Data Bug lashed its tail at Zoey, knocking her into a wall, but she recovers quickly and shouted "Vak Don" A fireball appeared and dropped on the Data Bug, giving it some damage.

The words Protect Break appeared and disappeared, meaning it is now okay to Data Drain it. Kite smiled as he activated his bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" He fired and rewrite the monster's data. The Killer Snake is freed of the Data Bug's influence. Kite also got a new Virus Core. The party combined their efforts to defeat it. They earned good EXP from the Killer Snake.

Mia looked at Elk. "Elk… I thought you would be here. I was looking for you." Mia sighed in relief. "You were looking for me? Me?" Elk blinked in surprised. "I'm not sure, but… I miss you when you're not around." Mia smiled. "Thank you, Mia. But… our favorite area is now ruined." Elk looked down in sadness.

"In theory, there's an infinite number of areas. We'll find another one somewhere else." Mia smiled as she walked up to Elk and patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, you're right." Elk looked up and closed his eyes and smiled. They Gate Out to Root Town.

Kite and Zoey were silent as they exited the dungeon.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Kotesu

A/N: Next up is Sanjuro, and you wouldn't want to miss this! See you next time!


	13. The Kotesu

Chapter 13: The Kotesu

Zoey was checking the Board for any information on the Girl in White or the Monster with the Red Wand. She suddenly found the topic Weapon Information has been updated. Curious, she clicked it and the topic said "Wanted: Katana Info" by someone named Sanjuro and it read:

**"I'm looking for a katana. Does anyone have any information on a katana? BTW my level is 8. Thanks."**

Zoey read the next topic that is called "then" by unyu and it read:

**"If you're level 8, I recommend the 'Kotesu Sword' in: Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder."**

Zoey then read Sanjuro's reply to unyu's post and it read:

**"Thanks. I'm going to head over there now."**

Zoey was in thought about Sanjuro's quest for the Kotesu Sword and realized he can't do it alone. "Better contact the others about this." Zoey said to herself as she exited The World's screen and went to her email screen and sent emails about Sanjuro's mission for a katana to Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, Natsume, Kagome, Ranma and his friends and Yukinari and his friends. She then logged into The World.

When Zoey logged in, she sees the entire gang (With the exception of Mia, Elk and Piros) waiting for her. "I heard from Zoey that someone named Sanjuro needs help obtaining an Katana." Natsume stated cheerfully.

"Yeah. I wonder how dangerous it is in that area." Kirie stated seriously. "Ha! Nothing we can't handle!" Tomoka boasted. "Yu Jie doesn't like show off Tomoka the Great. Yu Jie thinks Tomoka the Great naïve." Shampoo glares at Tomoka who glared back. "You wanna make something out of it, Yu Jie?!" Tomoka challenged as she gripped her axe.

"Please don't fight you two…" Koyomi stammered. Shampoo and Tomoka turned away from each other and huffed.

"So we need to help this Sanjuro character getting this katana, right?" Ukyo smiled. "Sounds about right." Kite nodded and smiled back. "So all we have to do is go to Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder, right?" Ryouga remembered what Zoey's email said.

"You're not thinking of going there without us, aren't you?!" Inuyasha's gruff voice stated as he and the demon hunters ran up to them. "Inuyasha?!" Kite gasped. "Sorry, guys. I have to invite them. Otherwise, Inuyasha would be bored in Dun Loireag." Kagome smiled and sweat dropped.

"Um, if you don't mind us asking, Kag. Who are they? They don't look like players to me." Yukinari smiled nervously. Kagome sighed and began to tell the story to her online friends.

"Impossible… real life people from the past that are somehow in The World?!" Mousse gawked in shock. Mistral however said "Wow! They must be cosplayers in this role play event in The World!" Mistral examined excitedly. "What did you say?" Inuyasha glared at the Wavemaster.

"She just needs time to think we're really real people inside this video game, Inuyasha. Just give her time." Sango smiled, being the peacekeeper she is. Kirara, Sango's pet demon companion walked up to Ranma.

"Ahhhhh!" Ranma panicked. "Get that cat away from me!" He hid behind Akane who rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Um… What's with Ran-chan?" Miharu asked cheerfully as she walked up to Kirara and pet her.

"Oh, Ranma has a fear of cats since he was a child. It'll take awhile to get used to it." Ukyo smiled cheerfully.

BlackRose and Inuyasha however were laughing really hard. "The great Ran-chan, afraid of a cat?!" BlackRose mustered up what she said through her laughter. "Man, what a wuss!" Inuyasha laughed so hard, he could barely breath, but in The World, he can breath whenever he wants without any consequences.

"Alright. Enough fooling around. Let's head over to Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder. Ok?" Kirie sighed. "Not without us, you're not!" Fukuyama and his group ran up to the gang. "Ugh! How did you know we were heading there?" Kirie growled in frustration. "Do not underestimate the Fukuyama Network, even in The World, I can see where everyone is going." Fukuyama smiled pervertedly.

"Besides, I don't want Kite or Chibinari to have all the fun with the ladies." "Chibinari?" BlackRose and Inuyasha turned to Yukinari for answers. "I don't wanna talk about it…" Yukinari sighed.

"OK. Enough goofing around. Let's head to Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder." Kite smiled as the parties were formed and they warped to Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder.

Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder was like a fiery wasteland. The parties looked around. Kosame noticed the dungeon and stated "Maybe we can find Sanjuro over there?" She pointed to it.

"Good work, Ko-Ko. Let's head over there now." Lisa smiled as the parties entered the dungeon. When they entered, they saw a 24 year old something man whose character is modeled after an Ronin, or wandering samurai. He is a rugged looking warrior of indeterminate age who wears dark plate mail on his upper body, and hakama (a sort of Japanese lower garment) around his legs. His wave symbols are visible on part of his face, as well as on his clothing. He has an eye patch over his right eye.

"Came here on a tip from the BBS and now look at me. All of these Treasure Boxes are full of junk. This ain't funny." The Heavy Blade growled. "Hate to say this, but if you're looking for a sword as well, it's a waste of time." The Heavy Blade added.

BlackRose whispered to Kite "Maybe we should check the Gott Statue? He hasn't looked there yet, has he?" "Yeah. Let's do that." Kite nodded and the parties head deeper into the dungeon.

30 minutes later.

"Take this!" Yukinari screamed as he slashed the final giant monster to death, earning him and the parties good EXP. The parties were in the final floor of the dungeon and they fought monsters and gain some good items and equipment for BlackRose (A new sword and armor) and Akane. (A new spear and armor as well) Kite and Zoey also got some good Virus Cores A to C from the monsters they Data Drained. The parties entered the Gott Statue room.

Kite walked up to the Gott Treasure Chest and opened it. He sees the Kotseu Sword in it. "Yaaaaayyy! We did it! We got what that Heavy Blade was looking for!" Mistral jumped for joy. "Shall we head back and give it to him?" Hayate smiled.

"Sounds like a plan." Kite smiled as the parties head back to where the Heavy Blade was.

"Hey you. We got the sword you're looking for." Inuyasha stated as the parties walked up to the Heavy Blade. The Heavy Blade couldn't help but stared at Inuyasha's features. "What the hell kind of character are you? Did you win those dog ears from a contest by CC Corp or something?" The Heavy Blade stared at Inuyasha.

"No! They're real! I was dragged into this video game and-" "Sit Boy!" Kagome shouted as Inuyasha fell to the floor, most of the parties who know Inuyasha but don't see his silly predicament stared at awe at what happened him. Kagome walked up to the Heavy Blade.

"Are you Sanjuro?" Kagome asked politely. "Yes, that would be me. How did you know?" Sanjuro asked politely. "We got what you're looking for, the Kotesu Sword." Kite smiled as he walked up to Sanjuro and gave the Kotesu Sword to him.

"Thanks! I really appreciate it! How about we exchanged member addresses so we can keep in touch?" Sanjuro smiled. Everyone nodded in agreement as they did just that, well except for Inuyasha and his friends.

"I got something for you two. Here, take it." Sanjuro smiled as he gave Kite and Zoey two Tolerance Books. "R-Really?! We can have these?! Thank you so much!" Zoey bowed politely. "Yeah. Thanks." Kite closed his eyes and smiled. "Till we meet again." Sanjuro smiled as he Gate Out back to Root Town.

"Glad that's over with." Kirie sighed and smiled. "Plus I get to see my Yukinari in action!" Lisa squealed as she blushed a shade of red. "Oh geez…" Yukinari sighed.

"Ack! Who rubbed my character's butt?!" Kirie growled. She turned around and saw Miroku about to do his… 'thing' on Miharu. "Why you little!" Kirie waltz up to Miroku and punched him in the face.

"Stay away from my harem, you bastard!" Fukuyama growled at Miroku. "Miroku! Stop being a pervert!" Sango growled at him. "Um… Mind telling me what's happening?" Mistral has an question mark above her head.

"Believe me, you won't believe us when we tell you how Miroku feels." Kite laughed.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Flowers

A/N: Next up, Gardenia will appear! So stay tuned!


	14. Flowers

A/N: Today's my birthday today! Hooray! Anyway, Here is Chapter 14 with Gardenia joining our heroes.

Chapter 14: Flowers

**"Miss Gardenia's Fan Club!" **was the subject that Zoey read on The World's BBS. Kagome told her something about a fan club her friends in real life were talking about and suggested that Zoey and Kite check it out. It may not have any info on the Girl in White, but hey, it's worth checking out.

The first topic in the subject said Grand Opening! By Moeri and it read:

**"We've finally made Miss Gardenia's Fan Club! Fans of Miss Gardenia should join ow. If you want to join, write your feelings about Miss Gardenia on this board! Maybe Miss Gardenia will look at it too!"**

Zoey read the reply to the topic by Heril and it read:

**"I just love Miss Gardenia! MISS GARDENIA IS THE BEST!"**

Zoey then read the next topic named "Let me join too!" by Yunore and it read:

**"I only saw her passing by, but when I saw her Miss Gardenia for the first time, it was fate. Please let me join too…."**

Zoey blinked at the topics as she read the next one called "Miss Gardeniaaaaaa" by Meria and it read:

**"Silent Miss Gardenia… she's the coolest!"**

Zoey read the next topic called "For Example" by Yoroshikuu and it read:

**"Miss Gardenia may be an enemy character."**

Zoey sweat dropped as she read the reply to the topic by Heril and it read:

**"Yoroshikuu: Get out of this thread! Loser!"**

'Oh boy…' Zoey sighed as she read the next reply to the topic by Moeri and it read:

**"Sys Admin! Please delete Yoroshikuu's post!"**

'Are they all… females?!' Zoey's left eye twitched when she read the next topic in the thread called "Just a loser" by Moeri and it read:

**"Hey, why don't we get together sometime?"**

Zoey read the reply to the topic by Yunore and it read:

**"That'll be great, but where does everyone live?"**

Sweat dropping, Zoey read the next reply to the topic by Meria and it read:

**"Oh, I forgot that this is the net."**

'They just realized that…?' Zoey sweat dropped even more as she continue reading. The next reply to the topic by Moeri and it read:

**"Miss Gardenia's favorite area these days is: Theta Soft Solitary Tri Pansy. Why don't we get together We might be able to meet Miss Gardenia!"**

Heril's reply was:

**"I'm all for it!"**

Yoroshikuuu's reply was:

**"I'm going too. (JK)"**

'Hmm…' Zoey scratched her chin in thought as she wonder what kind of person this Miss Gardenia is. 'Maybe I should go see for myself on what this Miss Gardenia looks like and why this fan club is so interested in her.' Zoey placed her Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World.

Zoey went to Theta server and saw Kite, BlackRose and Kagome chatting. She also sees Inuyasha snoring on top of a building and Miroku running away from some angry female players cause of… Yeah, you know what I mean. She saw Sango and Kirara looking at cute pig like creatures called Grunites, Zoey always wanted to ride a Grunty, maybe if she trains one, she can do it. Lastly, she sees Shippo impressing some players.

Zoey walked up to her friends. "Hey guys. Did Kag show you that thread about Miss Gardenia?" Zoey asked them. "Yeah. And to make it strange, they were all female players." Kite nodded.

"Sounds to me they're lesbians or something." BlackRose stated. "I wonder why?" Kagome scratched her chin in thought. "I bet we can get some answers at Theta Soft Solitary Tri Pansy. Let's form parties and check out that fan club." Zoey suggested.

"Then count me in, too!" A voice shouted. The four friends turned to see Sanjuro running up to them. "Sanjuro? You want to come with us?" Kite asked. "Yeah. This Miss Gardenia Fan Club run only by girls got me intrigued, maybe they're stalkers stalking Miss Gardenia." Sanjuro shrugged.

"Stalkers stalking an innocent player? Not on my watch!" A voice shouted. "Oh God, it's him…" BlackRose muttered in annoyance as Piros walked up to them. "Who are you? Some role playing player?" Sanjuro frowned.

"I am Piros, defender of all that is good! He of fair eyes and the girl of destiny aided me in defeating a vile monster in Delta Server, so when I overhear the conversation, I must join you in this quest to find this Lady Gardenia." Piros smiled.

"Um… Sure, why not?" Kite smiled nervously. Zoey sighed as BlackRose slaps her head in disbelief. Then, their 2 parties were formed and they warped to Theta Soft Solitary Tri Pansy.

When they got there, they noticed the background music has changed. "W-What the hell?! What is wrong with the music?!" BlackRose shouted, she's starting to hate this music. "It is the music of brave adventurers! Now let us go, friends! Lady Gardenia awaits us!" Piros marches truimphly as he headed north.

"I think Piros has something to do with the music…" Sanjuro muttered in annoyance. Kite, Zoey, BlackRose and Kagome sighed as they and Sanjuro followed Piros. They made it to the dungeon.

When they entered the dungeon, they see a group of female players discussing something. The player named Heril noticed Kite and Zoey and stated "You both looked pretty tough. Please give this to Miss Gardenia." She gave Kite a… love letter to Miss Gardenia?!

"What?! Hey, we're not here to-" Zoey was interrupted by Heril. "It's not for you! Please be careful with it! And don't you two dare throw it away!" Heril warned. The parties sighed as they pressed forward.

They fought many monsters and earned EXP and when they got to where the next floor is, they see a blonde, bushy-haired Long Arm that wears white, green, and gold armor over a matching battle dress and red eyes.

"Are you Lady Gardenia?" Piros asked her. The Long Arm presumed to be Gardenia frowned and replied with "You people seem to have no manners." "We're sorry about our friends accent." Zoey bowed in apology, ignoring Piros' protests. "Are you Miss Gardenia?" BlackRose asked.

"Yes, I am. What do you want?" Gardenia asked with a stern look. "Someone asked us to give this letter to you." Kagome stated. "Someone?" Gardenia frowned deeper. "We figure she's a fan of yours." Sanjuro stated.

"No thank you!" Gardenia growled as she ran deeper into the dungeon. "…We should go after her." Zoey face faulted as the party followed Gardenia.

The party managed to catch up to Gardenia. "Leave me alone." Gardenia said coldly. "But we promised…" Zoey tried to convince her. "They must have forced this upon you people…" Gardenia frowned deeper.

"Well, you could say that…" BlackRose sweat dropped. "Then it's not really a promise… Forget about it." Gardenia stated as she head deeper into the dungeon. "What should we do now, guys?" Sanjuro asked them. "We promised we will give Lady Gardenia this letter. And we can't break a promise, no matter the odds." Piros struck a pose, giving his friends odd stares.

But they somewhat agreed with Piros on this one. They followed Gardenia and managed to caught up with her. "…Suit yourselves…" Gardenia let out a somewhat sinister smirk as she ran into the dungeon. The parties followed suit and they saw Gardenia fighting a Guardian.

"Twin Dragons!" "Calamity!" "Crack Beat!" "Rag Rom!" The parties combined their attacks to give the Guardian some decent damage, protect breaking it. Zoey nodded with a smile as she activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired, reducing the Guardian to a weak monster. Kite rushed in and defeated it.

"W-What the hell was that?! I have never seen a skill that can reduce a strong monster to a weak one!" Sanjuro gasped. "Indeed. He of fair eyes and the girl of destiny continue to amaze me." Piros nodded in agreement. Gardenia turned to Kite and Zoey with a soft smile and commented "You two are surprisingly strong. Very well, I will accept it under two conditions. One, you will join my party when I summon you. And second, do not call me miss or Lady! That is all. Now let us exchange member addresses." The parties exchanged member addresses with Gardenia.

Kite gave Gardenia the letter. "All right then. I'll be using an item to escape since those girls are probably waiting for me on B1." Gardenia smiled as she used a Sprite Ocarina to escape, the Miss Gardenia Fan Club came barging in.

"Was Miss Gardenia OK?!" Yunore asked frantically. "You guys did give her the letter, right?" Heril glared. Kite meekly nodded while Zoey sweat dropped. "She used an item to escape." Sanjuro sighed irritably as he rubbed his temples.

"What?! She used an item to get back?" Moeri gawked as an imaginary piano fell behind the fan club. "You guys, we're off to Root Town!" Yunore cheered as they gated out. "Oh brother…" BlackRose slaps her head in annoyance.

"But friends, we did finish the favor. We should rejoice!" Piros smiled. "Shut up!" BlackRose and Kagome snapped at him. Kite, Zoey and Sanjuro laughed at this.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Trick


	15. The Trick

Chapter 15: The Trick

The next day, Zoey, Kite and BlackRose along with Inuyasha and his friends were at a Grunty farm in Theta server.

"And there." Zoey smiled as she feed her Grunty some Grunt Mints she earned from a previous area. The Grunty happily accepted them and then, in a flash, the Grunty grown into a Noble Grunty.

"Oooh mona mi! Thank you so much for helping me grow into adult form, mona mi!" The Noble Grunty said gratefully. "Hehe, it was no problem." Zoey smiled as she rubbed the back of her head with her hand.

"As a token of my gratitude, take this Grunty Flute. Use it to summon me in the field. But it will only work if a sever has Grunties you raised, mona mi." The Noble Grunty smiled as it gave Zoey a Grunty Flute.

"Thanks. I will take good care of it." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled. "Feh!" Inuyasha snorted. "I don't understand why humans in this game care for these strange animals." He rudely commented.

"Oh Inuyasha… They're just like Kirara. They need love and care and need a healthy diet. Isn't that right, Kirara?" Sango smiled as she petted Kirara in the chin. Kirara mewed in agreement.

"I have to agree with Sango on this one, Inuyasha." BlackRose nodded as she leaned down and looked at the baby Grunty with a smile. Suddenly, without warning, the baby Grunty licked BlackRose with its long tongue. "Ugh…" BlackRose stuttered, wondering if she will feel that in the real world. Kite and Zoey laughed at this heartily.

Shippo walked up to the Grunty and used the Golden Eggs that Kite gave him to the baby Grunty. He was scared at first, but after the baby Grunty ate them, he walked up to Shippo and cuddled him.

"H-Hey…" Shippo smiled as he petted the baby Grunty.

"So, what should we do now? We still haven't got any info on the Girl in White or the Monster with the Red Wand…" BlackRose stated, starting to look a bit worried. "Why don't we head back to Delta Server? Maybe we can find a clue there." Kite suggested.

"Sounds good. Inuyasha, you hang tight till we get back." Zoey smiled as she, Kite and BlackRose head to the Chaos Gate. "I don't even know what the hell that means!" Inuyasha growled.

(Back at Delta Server)

The three friends appeared in Mac Anu and they saw Mia talking to Piros about something. "Are… are you quite sure that I may take this item?" Piros gasped happily. "It's all yours." Mia smiled eerily.

"Ooo hoo! Then I shall use it now!" Piros cheered as he used the item, but then, his character is now orange, face and all. Piros screamed in surprise. Mia laughed at him, BlackRose secretly sniggered at Piros' condition.

"If you want the cure, you've got to look for it at: Delta Putrid Hot-blooded Scaffold." Mia smirked as she warped out of sight. "Hey… hey!" Piros growled. "…What did you get?" Kite asked, amused.

"…magic love potion…" Piros sighed sadly. "At any rate, let's head to Delta Putrid Hot-blooded Scaffold." Zoey giggled. "It's not funny! How can I aid you in your adventures if I look like this?!" Piros shouted, annoyed and a anger vein on his forehead. Kite, BlackRose and Zoey giggled as they formed 2 parties of 2 and went to Delta Putrid Hot-blooded Scaffold.

The parties entered the dungeon. They found a room with the Remedy in it. Kite opened it and got it. "That is indeed the cure! Please, give it to me!" Piros pleaded. Kite nodded meekly as he gave the Remedy to Piros who drank it. Piros is now pink. BlackRose did her best to hold back her laughter.

"Maybe we should check a different floor?" Zoey smiled nervously. They went down to the second floor and found a room with a Custom Remedy.

"That must be it! Please give it to me!" Piros begged. Kite sweat dropped as he gave Piros the Custom Remedy and he drank it. This time, Piros is yellow. "Hmm… I feel a littler stronger…" Piros wondered. "Oh for God's sake!" BlackRose growled. "Let's keep looking…" Kite moaned as they head towards the third floor.

They were in the third floor and saw a box labeled True Remedy. "This must be the one! I'm sure it is!" Piros exclaimed excitedly. Piros grabbed the True Remedy from Kite and drank it. At first, it seems like he's back to normal, but then… Piros is orange this time. Piros looked down and pouted. BlackRose couldn't hold it anymore and laughed really hard at Piros' predicatment. "That's what you get for not looking at it carefully, Piros!" BlackRose wiped a virtual tear from her eye from laughing. "Well… Almost…" Kite has a cheery smile while Zoey giggled. They decided to head down to the final floor.

They arrived in a room with a treasure box labeled First Remedy. "Maybe this is it?" Zoey guessed. "It better be the right one. If not, It will be fun if Piros is in another color and stuck that way." BlackRose smirked. "That is not funny, pink haired sidekick! Now I'm sure this is the one!" Piros used the First Remedy Kite gave to him and drank it. Piros is now back to his normal and lovable and annoying self.

"I'm back…" Piros grinned. "That's good news, Piros!" Zoey grinned as she rubbed the back of her head. "Yes! I'll give you all these to show you my appreciation." Piros smiled as he gave Kite, BlackRose and Zoey his diaries.

"Hey! What kind of crap is this?!" BlackRose growled as she looked at what Piros' Diary may do if they use it. "May the stars shine upon you!" Piros saluted as he logged out.

"Man, what a waste of time…" BlackRose muttered dryly. "But still, we managed to level up to 17 in this area." Zoey smiled. "That's true." Kite closed his eyes and smiled.

"Remind me to prevent Piros from being tricked by that cat lady again." BlackRose sighed in annoyance.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Trust

A/N: How was that? We're getting close to the end of Arc 1. Next arc will have Green Green, Love Hina and Fruits Basket and also Kohime Musou will appear in Arc 2: Mutation and I will be using the anime versions of the Kohime Musou girls. And don't worry! Tsusaka and almost all the cast of Dot Hack Signs will appear in Arc 3 and they will join our heroes in their quest. See you next time!


	16. Trust

Chapter 16: Trust

Zoey got home from school and work. Strange, the Cyniclons haven't attacked in a awhile, Elliot told her that the Cyniclons are laying low cause he feels they're recovering from the defeats Zoey and her friends have given them and the Blue Aqua either the Mew Mews or Cyniclons recovered. It was a good thing. Since the Mew Mews are one Mew Mew down and there are four of them for now, a Cyniclon attack would be not a pretty site with only four Mew Mews.

She turned on her computer and checked for emails. She got 7 new emails. The first one is from Miharu. The subject said "About me (Smiley)" and it read:

**"I come from the planet Seiren which is run entirely by women and girls. It's a lovely place. I once lived there with my big sister, Maharu until Yukinari arrived there by a portal between Seiren and your world. After a fun chase, I went to Earth with Yukinari. My favorite food is everything, but my most favorite food is bananas, they're really good. What is your favorite food, Zoey? And do you work for a food market or restaurant?"**

Zoey looked at Miharu's email oddly. Seiren? A planet run entirely by girls? She replied with "Um… I have a favorite food and its fish. Fish is good for you since it can increase your intelligence. You should try it sometime since you liked every food in Japan. Especially sushi. Also, I like strawberry cakes. And to answer your question of a job, I work at a café called Café Mew Mew. It's really good and you should come over there sometime." She sent the reply.

The next email is from Koyomi and the subject said "Um…" and it read:

**"Due to a traumatic childhood memory, I was afraid of men ever since… when I first met Yukinari, I freaked out and hurt him… Yukinari is really nice despite him being a male… I don't know if I can help you on curing your friend from her coma, but I'll try…"**

Zoey smiled at the nice email Koyomi sent her. She replied with "I am afraid of ghosts. They freak me out and I get scared stiff. But don't worry! You will get over your bad childhood memory soon! And thanks for helping me and Kite!" She sent the reply.

The third email is from Lisa and the subject said "Yukinari is my husband!" and it read:

**"Yukinari and I are destined to be together as husband and wife. The signs say so! So you and that brat Miharu AKA MiMi better not get any funny ideas with my Yukinari or else! I'm part of the Fukuyama Corporation, a very well known company, but sometimes infamous due to my brother's pervertness. Do you know any rich people, Zoey?"**

Zoey replied with "I do know one and she's one of my best friends. Corina Bucksworth of Bucksworth Enterprises. She can get on my nerves sometimes, but other than that, we get along just fine. Also, Yukinari is not my type, but I don't think Yukinari thinks you're his type anyway." She sent the reply.

The fourth email is from Shampoo and it's a reply from her first email and it read:

**"Zoey shouldn't give up. Zoey find right man like Shampoo found Ranma be right man! Shampoo will make Ranma love Shampoo. Shampoo make other women for Ranma's love jealous someday!"**

Zoey's reply was: "Thanks… I guess. You got to try harder to make Ran-chan love you, Yu Jie." She sent the reply.

The fifth email is from Sanjuro. The subject said "Yojimbo" And it read:

**"My name is from the character 'Kuwabtake Sanjura' in the film classic 'Yojimbo'."**

Zoey replied with "I heard of that movie, but was not real interested into samurai movies. But that's a really good name you based your character on. I admired that." She sent the reply.

The sixth email is from Mousse and the subject of his email is "Ranma is my enemy!" and it read:

**"I will do everything in my power to defeat Ranma and make Yu Jie AKA Shampoo love me!"**

Zoey sweat dropped as she replied with "Um…" She sent the reply.

The seventh and final email is from BlackRose and the subject said "Wow!" and it read:

**"When we went to the dungeon of Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil, nothing was there, right? I thought it was a hoax, so I emailed… uh… Marin was it? Well, anyways, I emailed her. She wouldn't reply to me, but I kept pestering her and guess what?! Someone changed those keywords! She was freaked out about it, too! The actual keywords are: Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise. You and Kite are still gonna go, right? I already emailed Kite about it."**

'A lead…' Zoey thought to herself as she replied with "Of course we're gonna go. There must be a lead on the Girl in White." She sent the reply. 'Alright. Time to log into The World.' Zoey thought to herself as she placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World.

When she arrived at Dun Loireag, she sees Kite, BlackRose, Kagome and Inuyasha and his Feudal Era friends waiting for her. "Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise… We're going, right?" Kite asked her seriously.

"Of course. We might be able to find something if we go there." Zoey nodded. "So what are we waiting for? Let's find that Girl in White!" Inuyasha shouted. "Inuyasha, please be painet. We just need to select it from the Chaos Gate." Kagome scolded.

Kite and Zoey walked up to the Chaos Gate and selected Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise. Suddenly, the Protected Area sign appeared in mid air above the heroes. "W-What the…?!" BlackRose gawked as Kite and Zoey's Hacking Gate menus appeared on their bracelets. When they looked at the required virus cores and the ones they have so far, they frowned.

"Damn… We don't have enough virus cores…" Kite muttered. "What are you guys talking about?" Sango blinked. Kite and Zoey turned to BlackRose. "Remember that cat player we saw tricking Piros? She taught us how to hack into Protected Areas. Her name is Mia." Zoey told BlackRose and the others.

"Huh… So there's more to that cat player than meets the eye. But… maybe the keywords for this place ere on the original message, but someone modified it." BlackRose stated, a little afraid.

Kite and Zoey turned to BlackRose with shocked looks. "Our messages were also…" Zoey gasped. "They were deleted, right?" BlackRose asked in concern. Kite and Zoey nodded slowly. "What's going on? Why would the makers of this video game delete messages about coma victims and the Girl in White?" Shippo shivered.

"I got a bad feeling about this… Like something awful is about to happen…" Kagome gulped. "Well, let's not worry about it for now. Why don't you guys head on back to the real world?" Miroku smiled. Kite, BlackRose, Zoey and Kagome nodded as they logged out.

Back in the real world, Zoey was naked in the bathtub and in thought about the keywords. 'Something is definitely wrong here… Why would the makers of The World cover up information about comatose people and the Girl in White? If I don't find the Girl in White soon, Bridget may never wake up again!' Zoey sighed as she sank her head almost into the water.

She closed her eyes in thought. **"…oey… Zoey…" **A familiar voice stated. 'H-Huh?' Zoey opened her eyes in alarm as she got up from the water and gasped in shock to see the Girl in White transparent in front of her. The Girl in White smiled softly at her. Zoey blushed in embarrassment as she used her hands to cover up her nakedness.

"You're… the Girl in White…" Zoey gasped in shock. "I am indeed the Girl in White, but this is an image created as a way of talking to you in the real world." The Girl in White stated softly.

"What do you mean?" Zoey questioned. "When you opened the Book of Twilight and created your bracelet, I was able to use your character as a means to contact you in the real world. Please, listen to what I have to say." The Girl in White pleaded.

"I will… But will you answer my questions?" Zoey smiled softly at her. The Girl in White was silent. Zoey looked down. "I'm sorry; I bet you don't have time to answer that, huh?" Zoey asked her out of pity. The Girl in White nodded and then began.

"She is aware of you helping me. She's trying to bring about the end of both The World and the real world and three anime worlds, Koihime Musou, Galaxy Angel and Queen's Blade…" The Girl in White looked down in sadness.

"Galaxy Angel, I know of that anime, my friend Corina watches that all the time. But Koihime Musou and Queen's Blade? Never heard of them. And who is this She you're talking about?" Zoey asked politely.

"I'm afraid I don't have time. Skeith is searching for me as we speak. You must gain the virus core required to open the path to Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise, you will a letter left by my father." The Girl in White stated.

'Skeith… That's the name Kite read in Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground…' Zoey thought to herself. "Before you go, may I ask you what your name is?" The Girl in White didn't say anything as she vanished. Zoey sighed as she got out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her body, got into her pajamas and went to sleep tonight.

It was the weekend and Zoey was at home, thinking about what the Girl in White said to her.

**"She's trying to bring about the end of both The World and the real world and three anime worlds, Koihime Muosou, Galaxy Angel and Queen's Blade…"**

'Who is this She the Girl in White is talking about? Maybe I can head back into The World?' Zoey thought as she logged into The World.

Luckily, Kite and Zoey logged in at the same time in Dun Loireag and they saw Mistral talking to a golden Heavy Axeman. "Gimme a break. This is a super-rare item. 9999 GP! That's my final offer!" The Heavy Axeman known as Apeiron growled.

"Is there a loan program available?" Mistral frowned as she puts her hands on her hips. "With a high interest rate, yeah." Apeiron nodded. "Arghhh! Spare me from debt hell!" Mistral moaned.

"Debt hell. That's an awful sounding word." Apeiron snickered. "Beyond awful!" Mistral nodded. "Well then, that's the end of the negotiation." Apeiron muttered. Mistral then noticed Kite and Zoey watching them. She gasped and stammered "How long have you two been watching me?!"

"From when you asked about the loan." Kite smiled softly. Mistral chuckled nervously and replied with "Well, I'm the type that just has to collect every single item. That's why I get all emotional about it." Mistral grinned.

"Um… Okay." Zoey sweat dropped along with Kite. "Well, I'm gonna go for a walk and calm down." Mistral closed her eyes and smiled as she warped to an area. Apeiron then turned his attention to Kite and Zoey. "Hello you two!" He waved. Kite and Zoey meekly waved back.

"What is it?" Zoey asked Apeiron. "I have these Books of Iron. You interested? You two are, right?" Apeiron asked. "Install these items, and it will nullify an attack from an enemy at a high percentage."

Zoey was about to ask that till Kite stopped her and shook his head, telling her no. "How about it for 999 GP?" Apeiron offered. "Excuse us? You just told Mistral they cost 9999 GP." Kite raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"You're kidding me, right? That's off by a whole digit." Apeiron gasped. "Well… she's not here anymore, so, you buy these items. It'll come in handy, trust me." Apeiron urged. "We're not interested." Zoey frowned.

"Don't be hasty. Just buy it. There's nothing wrong with a little security." Apeiron stated, getting a little bit annoyed. "But we don't need it." Kite frowned as well. "Oh? You two really are hard sells." Apeiron stated, a little surprise.

"Hey, I got my pride too! I don't need your fucking money. Just shut up and take these items!" Apeiron yelled as he gave Kite and Zoey the Books of Iron. "H-Hey! Wait a minute!" Zoey gasped in shock.

"Oh, listen up. Watch out for the notorious hacker, Helba." Apeiron warned as he logged out. "Well, it's no use trying to give them back to him. Let's try installing them now." Zoey smiled nervously. Kite nodded in agreement as they used the Books of Iron. However, like the Books of Law, it cannot overwrite their data meaning it is impossible to overwrite their characters' data due to them being illegal.

"…" Kite and Zoey were silent for about 50 seconds till Zoey spoke up with "Just like the Books of Law. We can't use the Books of Iron. That Heavy Axeman scammed us." Zoey muttered bitterly.

"Hold on. He knows Helba and told us to watch out for her. I wonder why he wants us to stay away from Helba?" Kite wondered. "Yeah, I was wondering about that too." Zoey agreed. Then, Mistral appeared back in Root Town.

Mistral looked around and turned to her friends and asked "Where did that guy go?" "He's gone." Kite told her. "Ooooh shit! I guess I was too late… I just sold everything I don't need…" Mistral looked down in sadness, then her mood brightens up and turned to her friends with a cheerful smile.

"Oh, that reminds me! I overheard something at the weapons shop. Theta Collapsed Momentary Spiral. They say it's really dangerous. Hey, I got an idea! Let's all go together. I want to see you two do those skills again!" Mistral grinned. Kite and Zoey were silent as they nodded in agreement reluctantly and they formed their parties.

Kite and Zoey approached the Chaos Gate and selected Theta Collapsed Momentary Spiral. But however, they received the Protected Area message and their Hacking Gate menus appeared.

"Whooooaaaaa! Holy crap! How did you guys do that?!" Mistral gasped in awe. "It's hard to say… Now let's see…" Zoey looked at the required virus cores and the virus cores she and Kite got. Both smiled, knowing they have enough virus cores and after inserting them, their bracelets turned into hand fused spaceships and they and Mistral fly towards their destination in the computer data tunnel.

They arrived at Theta Collapsed Momentary Spiral and it was a quiet corrupted area filled in night. Mistral looked around in awe and amazement. "Cooooooollll! I didn't know you two can do that! We're inside the Protected Area! Fricking sweet!" Mistral shouted excitedly.

Kite and Zoey were silent. "Let's go into the dungeon so maybe we can find treasure in there." Mistral smiled again as she ran off, Kite and Zoey followed her.

Mistral looked at the dungeon's insides in awe. "Wow, that's a pretty cool effect they've put out for this stage!" Mistral whistled. Kite and Zoey looked down in sadness as they pressed on, fighting monsters that got in their way, Kite, Zoey and Mistral managed to level up to 21.

They reached the end and saw a magic portal. It dispelled to reveal two Data Bugged Thousand Trees, tree like monsters. "Oh boy! Now let's see those skills in action! Rai Don!" Mistral casted a spell on the first Data Bug, giving it an large amount of damage.

Zoey rushed in and slashed the second Data Bug three times, dodging every slash it lashed out at her. Kite rushed at the first Data Bug and tried to attack it, but it knocked him to the ground. "Damn it!" Kite growled as he stood up, holding his arm. "Hang on! I got an rare equipment that has a rare spell in this sever! La Repth!" Mistral casted an spell and cured the party's wounds.

"Good work, Mistral! Crack Beat!" Zoey used her skill on the first Data Bug, giving it medium damage. Kite rushed at the second Data Bug and shouted "Tiger Claws!" He attacked it 12 times, giving it large amounts of damage.

"Juk Rom!" Mistral made branches from the ground appear and hit the two Data Bugs for medium damage.

Kite rushed at the first Data Bug and dodged every hit it lashed out at him and he got close and hit the Data Bug five times, giving it some large points of damage. Zoey leaped into the air and slashed the second Data Bug six times with rapid slashes, giving the Data Bug some medium damage as well.

"La Repth!" Mistral casted the spell again, healing the party's HP. Zoey dodged every hit from the first Data Bug and slashed it three times with her sword and shouting "Crack Beat!" She used the skill to give the Data Bug some big damage.

"Rue Rom!" Kite shouted as he made a water tornado appear and hit the two Data Bugs. The words Protect Break appeared on both of them. "Data Drain!" Kite and Zoey activated their bracelets and fired at the two Data Bugs, turning them back into normal Thousand Trees. Kite got a Virus Core Q, so did Zoey.

Eventually, the party combined their efforts to defeat the monsters and got some small EXP from them.

Mistral turned to her friends with a smile and asked "Those are nice bracelets, where did you two get them? I want one too." Mistral squealed. Kite and Zoey told Mistral everything, about the Girl in White, the Monster with the Red Wand, Bridget and Orca's condition and the events leading up to this.

"Wow! I didn't know they had an event like that!" Mistral squealed again. "No, you got it wrong. It wasn't an event." Zoey frowned. Mistral noticed something in the real world. "Oh no! It started raining! I have to bring in the laundry! Sorry, I gotta go." Mistral bowed in apology as she logged out. Kite and Zoey were silent.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Gardenia's Passion

A/N: Next up, our heroes will aid Gardenia in a dungeon she picked out for Kite and Zoey, so stay tuned!


	17. Gardenia's Passion

Chapter 17: Gardenia's Passion

Zoey got home from work and checked her email. She got four emails from Kite, BlackRose, Yukinari and Gardenia. Kite's email's subject is called "We got the required Virus Cores" and it read:

**"I emailed BlackRose about the virus cores we got the other day, she's busy today, so we'll wait till tomorrow to find out about that area."**

Zoey nodded and replied with: "Yeah. Maybe Protected Area will give us clues on who the Girl in White is and why Orca and Bridge fell into a coma." She sent the reply. The subject of BlackRose's email is "Sorry, busy today" and it read:

**"Kite told me about the virus cores you and him got, but I have try outs today for bat mitten, so I'll see you tomorrow in The World."**

Zoey replied with "It's ok. I know you have important things to do. We'll meet tomorrow and go to Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise with the virus cores we got." She sent the reply. Koyomi's email's subject is called "Gardenia…" and it read:

**"Um… Me and my friends got an email from someone named Gardenia whom we met yesterday telling us to go somewhere with her. Do you know her, Zoey?"**

'Gardenia must have met YuYu and the others.' Zoey thought to herself as she replied with "Yeah. We met her two days ago and became friends with her. I just recently got an email from her right now. I'll meet you in The World." She sent the reply.

Gardenia's email has no subject and it read:

**"Going to: Theta Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem. I'm also interested in your and the one called Kite's powers to rewrite monsters' data. I already invited some people you know named YuYu and his friends. You and Kite are coming, right?"**

'Gardenia is interested in our bracelets…' Zoey thought to herself as she replied with "Sure. I hope you believe us on how we got the ability to rewrite monsters' data." She sent the reply. She puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

Zoey logged in, so did Kite, Yukinari and his friends. "All of you are late…" Gardenia's voice stated coldly as the group of friends turned to see Gardenia leaning on a rock pillar near the Chaos Gate.

"S-Sorry Gardenia." Yukinari bowed his head in apology. "Don't be formal. I'm not a queen; I'm your friend, so treat me like one." Gardenia smiled softly as she got off the pillar and walked up to the friends.

"So, Kite, Zoey. This is your friend who you met two days ago?" Tomoka leaned over to Kite and whispered "She seems cold for some reason…" Gardenia however heard that and turned to Tomoka with a frown and remarked "That's a ridiculous character, talking behind my back. Learn your manners next time." Gardenia stated.

"W-Why you…!" Tomoka gritted her teeth angrily when Gardenia said that. "Anyway…" Kirie began. "You want all of us to go to Theta Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem with you, Gardenia? What's in there?" Kirie questioned.

"You'll find out soon enough." Gardenia stated as she walked up to the Chaos Gate, everyone else followed her. Just as they formed their parties and were about to head to the area, Fukuyama's perverted laugh was heard, making Koyomi clinched in fear. Fukuyama and his group logged in.

"Where do you think you guys are going? Going to a area without moi?" Fukuyama grinned pervertedly. "Oh great… Fukuyama…" Zoey muttered in annoyance. "Who's this idiot?" Gardenia frowned.

Fukuyama notice Gardenia and his eyes turned into hearts as he rushed up to her and held her hand. "My name is Kazuma Fukuyama, billionaire and CEO of the Fukuyama Corporation! I am known as Kazzy in The World! I like women, hate guys and love to do naughty things to women! How about you and I meet in the real world so we can make some-gaaaaak!" Gardenia quickly hit Fukuyama with the butt of her spear, knocking the pervert out.

"I heard of you… Women file a restraining order due to you acting like a perverted idiot. Never thought you got to play The World." Gardenia frowned deeper as she closed her eyes and huffed.

"W-Wait a minute!" Fukuyama quickly got up. "I'm not that bad! See, I taught Kite and Zoey how to play this game, I am a good guy, even to men!" Fukuyama reasoned. "But… Orca was the one who introduced me tot his game." Kite interjected. "Bridge also got me playing this game." Zoey added with a frown.

Gardenia turned to Kite with a surprised look. "You know Orca of the Azure Sea? He and I met once and he helped me out when I first started this game. He even taught me how to raise Grunties. I wonder how he's doing…" Gardenia wondered. Kite and Zoey were silent when she mentioned that.

"So, Gardenia, are we heading to the area you want us to go to?" Miharu smiled cheerfully. "Yes. Let us commence our journey." Gardenia stated, just as they were about to use the Chaos Gate, Fukuyama stopped. "W-Wait! Not without us!" Fukuyama protested and pleaded at the same time.

"Just what is it you want to gain from this journey? To touch us women inappropriately?" Gardenia glared coldly at Fukuyama. "T-That's not it! I just… want to make my name well known in The World, so the women especially Kojima can respect and fall in love with me." Fukuyama smiled pervertedly and nervously.

"Like hell it is! You'll still be a damned pervert, Fukuyama, nothing can change that! But if you so insist in coming with us so I can beat the crap out of you, be my guest!" Kirie glared fiercely at Fukuyama. "Oh YuYu, I will make sure Gardenia will not treat you badly, my love." Lisa squealed. "Um… Liz…" Yukinari stammered. Gardenia stared at Lisa coldly. "I don't think YuYu is interested in you." She stated coldly. Lisa seethed but calm down.

"Alright, enough fooling. Let's go to Theta Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem." Gardenia ordered. Everyone nodded in agreement as more parties were formed and they went to Theta Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem.

When they arrived, the parties minus Gardenia looked around. "So, Gardenia. What's in here?" Zoey asked her. Gardenia stared at Zoey and asked "Do you think a Hitorishizuka will grow here?" Gardenia questioned.

"A what?" Tomoka has an question mark above her head. "That's what you're looking for? We hope you can find it." Kite closed his eyes and smiled. Gardenia shook her head no and replied with "Not here… It blossoms, then falls quietly on the mountainsides." Gardenia looked at the virtual sky.

"You're a real romantic, Gardenia." Yukinari closed his eyes and smiled. Gardenia pointed her spear at Yukinari's throat and growled "Shut up!" The party members sweat dropped while Kite and Zoey chuckled. They proceeded into the dungeon.

When they entered, Gardenia stopped. "When I see the fluffy head of a dandelion, a thought always crosses my mind…" Gardenia lamented calmly (A/N: I don't mean a bad lamenting, but a good lamenting.)

"Like it would feel good if you fly like that?" Miharu smiled. "No…" Gardenia shook her head no and replied with "I think it would itch when the fluff got in your ears." The party members looked at Gardenia oddly, but they shrugged it off, Gardenia included and went deeper into the dungeon.

They fought many monsters, but in the end, they made it to the Gott statue at the final floor of the dungeon. Kite and Zoey opened the Gott chest and they got two books, they looked at what it can do when used and gasped in amazement.

"Wow… These books can increase your stats! Is that why you want us to come here, so we can have these books?" Zoey turned to Gardenia in surprise. "Yes, but that's not it. I also want to know how you two were able to rewrite high level monsters' data and revert them to weak monsters… It doesn't add up." "Kite, Zoey…" Kirie looked at the two in worry. Kite and Zoey nodded to Kirie and began their explanation.

Kite and Zoey told Gardenia about the Girl in White, the Monster with the Red Wand and how he put Orca and Bridget into a coma. The power of Data Drain and its powerful but dangerous powers…

"I see… I have no idea Orca of the Azure Sea was in that condition…" Gardenia frowned. "So, you believe us?" Kite asked hopefully. "I do… I feel a storm coming… If that Monster with the Red Wand is the reason Orca and Bridge are in a coma, I fear that the monster is a signal of what's yet to come…" Gardenia stated seriously. Yukinari and his friends looked worried, Fukuyama and his group were silent and Kite and Zoey were wondering about the calm of the storm…

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Mysterious Letter

A/N: Only a few more chapters to go till the end of Arc 1. See you soon!


	18. The Mysterious Letter

Chapter 18: The Mysterious Letter

With only a few days left till summer vacation, Zoey can have all the time she needs to help wake her friend, Bridget from her coma. (A/N: I know summer's not till next year, we're getting towards 2013, so I made the plot of Dot Hack Mew Mew take place before summer vacation, but Green Green's anime plot takes place during summer and the cast of Green Green along with minor characters will play The World due to the two boarding schools project of bringing both male and female students of both schools to communicate better. Enough from me, back to the fanfic!)

Zoey logged into The World, she sees Kite, BlackRose, Kagome, Inuyasha and his friends, Ranma and his friends and Yukinari and his friends, including Fukuyama and his group were waiting.

"Zoey, you're here." Kite smiled as Zoey walked up to her friends. "So, we're going to go where the Girl in White is last seen?" Inuyasha asked, folding his arms. "Of course. We got the required Virus Cores to enter Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise." Zoey nodded with a cheesy grin.

"Um, I don't get it. What are you guys talking about?" Ryoga asked, putting his hand on his ear, attempting to get some virtual wax out of it. BlackRose turned to Ryouga and told him "Yukito, Kite and Zoey have the power to hack into gates and unlock Protected Areas."

"S-Sugoi!" Ukyo gasped in shock. "Wow… I didn't know that those two hold powers beyond of normal players." Hayate stated, pushing his virtual glasses up.

"Don't you find it strange?" Ranma asked seriously. "Like…?" Akane asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "CC Corp has deleted threads about comatose victims, the Girl in White and the Monster with the Red Wand. As if they're trying to cover up something, but what is it?" Ranma asked, putting his hand on his chin in thought.

"There has to be a reason why the Girl in White gave Kite and Zoey those bracelets to help their friends." Yukinari nodded in agreement with Ranma. "Or maybe she's leading us into a trap…" Tomoka frowned.

"We trust the Girl in White. She needs our help and the Monster with the Red Wand is after her, so we got to help her!" Zoey reasoned.

"If the lovely Zoey believes in the also lovely Girl in White's words, then I see no reason to doubt the mysterious and sexy Girl in White." Fukuyama stated.

Somewhere in The World, the Girl in White sneezes before she vanished to who knows where.

Back to our heroes, Kirie glared at Fukuyama. "Mysterious and sexy Girl in White? Really, Kazzy…" She hit Fukuyama with the butt of her sword, giving the poor pervert a bump on the head.

"But know what else is strange?" Kagome stated. "My friends from the Feudal Era appearing in The World in their real world forms. Something doesn't feel right. Who sucked my friends from the Feudal Era into The World and why?"

"I have something to say about this…" Zoey stepped up. "What is it, Zoey?" Koyomi asked in concern. "Over the past days and nights ever since I started playing The World, I have been having both dreams and nightmares about the Girl in White and Monster with the Red Wand. It is like the Girl in White is trying to tell me something in my dreams, like she's trying to help us. And in my nightmares, I was fighting the Monster with the Red Wand and I was about to win till I woke up. Could the Girl in White be using her powers to tell me something in my dreams?" Zoey wondered as she looked at the virtual sky.

"The only thing we can do is to find the Girl in White and she can answer our questions. We will save Orca, Bridge and Nerima together. We're a team now and we will solve this mystery or die trying." Kite smiled.

"Y-Yeah, you're right." Zoey nodded with a small smile. "Kite and Zoey show Yu Jie Gate Hack skill. Yu Jie want to see!" Shampoo clapped her hands excitedly. Kite and Zoey nodded as they got near the Chaos Gate and selected Theta Cursed Despaired Paradise. They got the Protected Area message on their screens before the Gate Hacking menus appeared on their arms.

They inserted the required Virus Cores and selected done. Like before, their bracelets temporary turned into medium size spaceships with their hands in them. Their friends also appeared in the data tunnel.

"What the hell is thisssssssssssss?!" BlackRose screamed as she and the others fly upwards with Kite and Zoey for about 2 minutes till they stopped and exited the data tunnel.

The parties were in a corrupted area of a fiery rocky wasteland. They looked around. "Well, this is different…" BlackRose commented. "So that was the power of Gate Hacking…" MiMi gasped in awe and utter shock.

"We heading into the dungeon to find out if the Girl in White was seen here?" Mousse asked. "Oh yeah. We're heading into the dungeon to find the Girl in White." Ranma nodded as the parties head into the dungeon.

As the parties head deeper into the dungeon, Kagome brought up something.

"I have been wondering about the Protected Areas…" Kagome stated. "What is it, Lady Kag?" Miroku asked in concern. "Something doesn't feel right. CC Corp sealed these protected areas because of corrupted data in them. But I don't think that's it. I think the reason they sealed these areas is because they're hiding something so no one can use it for evil or whatever… I wonder what they're trying to hide…" Kagome wondered as she scratched her virtual chin.

"Feh! These CC Corp guys must be paranoid humans trying to protect their secrets. If I were you, I'll go to them personally and demand to know why players in this game are falling into a coma." Inuyasha snorted.

"That's not how it works, Inuyasha… You have to sue them and have enough money to win a case against a company. Either the company or the person who is suing the company wins the case by convincing the jury with evidence. That's how things work in the modern world…" Zoey told him seriously.

"Um…" Inuyasha sweat dropped. "I have to agree with Zoey on this one, Inuyasha. Our era is different from your era." Kagome nodded.

"I tried buying CC Corp so I can make them create adult games for people like me, but I failed countless times and was unable to buy them due to them convincing the government to prevent me from buying CC Corp, ever. It's a crappy life." Fukuyama mused sadly. "Pervert…" Both Sango and Kirie muttered at the same time.

"Um… Anyway, let's head deeper into the dungeon." Kite smiled nervously. Everyone nodded in agreement as they continued on.

The parties fought monsters and won and got good equipment for most of the party members, for example, new twin blades for Kite and Mousse, etc, etc. And they leveled up to 22. Eventually, they entered the last room of the last floor of the dungeon.

But they were shocked to find themselves in a white area, the only thing that makes it a bit lively is a bed with many teddy bears. "What the hell…?" Ranma gasped. "What is this place? It's not part of the dungeon, I can tell you that." Akane shivered.

Zoey noticed something on the ground; she motions Kite to pick it up. It was a letter, or a note to be exact. Kite read it out loud.

**"And so, I shall name her Aura. Without you, she would not exist. The shining girl, Aura… We will entrust her with our will… Our future is in her hands… She is our…"**

"It stops here…" Kite muttered. "What is this?" BlackRose gasped in shock. "I don't know, but Aura is probably the Girl in White…" Kite stated. "You mean… the girl who gave you two the bracelets?" Ukyo turned to Kite and Zoey with a shock looked, everyone else was shocked.

"Yes. We think it may be her. The girl we're seeking…" Zoey nodded slowly. "Aura… what a beautiful name…" Fukuyama drooled, Kirie punched him in the jaw. Yukinari noticed something. "Hey… Check this out." He picked up something and gave it to Kite. Kite read the letter out loud.

**"Shunning the field broken by Wave… The shadowed girl whispers: Surely, I will return… Alas, the truth unbeknownst. Awaiting her at journey's end.. Eternal mourning for her land…"**

"What the hell was that letter?! It doesn't make any fricking sense!" Ryouga shouted in annoyance. "I'm scared…" Shippo whimpered. The party decided to Gate Out back to Root town.

Back at Root Town, the parties were in thought about what they found.

"We learned the Girl in White's true name, Aura." Kite stated. "But what about the Monster with the Red Wand? He's chasing Aura for who knows what." Koyomi shivered. "The mystery deepens and deepens…" Kosame stated coolly.

"And what was those letters we found. One of them is about Aura and the other sounded like a poem…" Lisa added, it doesn't make any sense to her. The party were in thought about this. Unknown to them, Apeiron was watching from afar.

"…Yeah, they went into the Protected Area like they did to the other one." Apeiron was talking to someone, but who? "…Understand. I will stand by, Lios." Apeiron nodded as he logged out.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Another Lead?

A/N: Next chapter will be extra long, I guarantee it. We're only a few chapters away from the closing of Arc 1. Also, I have a question for all of you, the world didn't ended yesterday and that whole December 21, 2012 end of the world date was all a hoax. What are your thoughts? Answer away on the reviews! See you next time!


	19. Another Lead?

A/N: Only 2 more chapters to go till the end of Arc 1! Meaning this chapter and the battle with Skeith… So today's chapter will be super extra long! (Maybe) So here is Chapter 19!

Chapter 19: Another Lead?

2 more days till summer vacation… Zoey was riding a train to home. She has caught up on her studies and got good grades so far. The reason for that is her friend, Bridget who is still in a coma because of the Monster with the Red Wand.

She was in thought about what happened yesterday. She learned the Girl in White's true name, Aura. Aura may hold the answers she and her friends seek and may be able to wake both Bridget and Orca from their comas.

Why was the Monster with the Red Wand chasing her? Did Aura do something to make the monster angry? Or is there a reason why it was chasing her?

One thing for sure, Zoey want answers. What is going on in The World? Why did CC Corp lock Protected Areas to hid strange rooms and Data Bugs?

'I got to look at the Board for clues on where to find Aura…' Zoey thought as her train stopped and she got off it.

When Zoey got home, she went to her computer and turned it on. She got 3 emails. The first one is from Kite and the subject said "A thread about Orca" and it read:

**"BlackRose found a clue about a missing player named Alf in the MISSING thread in The World's BBS. We may find a clue on Aura's whereabouts. Other than that, I found a thread that is addressed to Orca."**

'Maybe Kite found a clue?' Zoey thought as she replied with "Its worth checking out." She sent the reply. The second email is from Kirie. The subject said "About yesterday" and it read:

**"That strange room we found didn't make any sense… Who created that room and how is Aura AKA the Girl in White involved in any of this? And who left those two letters there also? Something is going on in The World… I hope you find a clue soon so we can find and defeat the Monster with the Red Wand."**

'Kirie is determined to help us. That's really thoughtful of her.' Zoey smiled as she replied with "I'll keep you posted on what we find." She sent the reply.

The third and final email is from Natsume and it is a reply to her previous email. It read:

**"That means you're a year younger than me. Wow, so cool! Also, yeah! I think I know Kite from my school. I didn't know he's playing The World! Thanks for telling me. I'm not sure what good I am, but I'll try harder."**

Zoey replied with "No problem. It's great to have you on our team." She sent the reply. Zoey placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and went to the Board in The World's start up screen.

She found the thread Kite was talking about. The topic said "To Orca" and it read:

**"I'm late, but I got that thing you wanted. I'll be at the area where you said you'll take your friend. PS: Mailing seems to be hiccupping, so I wrote here. Hope it's not a problem."**

'This Bob guy knows Orca… Maybe he can help us? And the place he said he will meet Orca… Could he be talking about the area Bridget and I went to after we started playing The World?' Zoey thought as she logged into The World.

She warped to Mac Anu and found Kite waiting for her. "Zoey, did you read the thread about Orca?" Kite asked her. "Yeah. This Bob guy knows your friend. So we should head to Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field." Zoey nodded. Kite agreed as they warped to the place where it all began.

When they got there, they saw a samurai looking Long Arm noticing them entering the field. "Huh, you're a friend of Orca? So that's why you know this place. So, how's he doing?" The Long Arm known as Bob asked with a smile.

Kite and Zoey looked down in sadness as they began explaining to him about Orca and Bridge's condition.

"That's incredible. That rumour… It can't be…" Bob gasped in shock. "Rumour? Orca also mentioned it…" Kite asked, a bit serious. "About something unknown, lurking within The World… You never heard of it?" Bob asked them.

"No. What is what lurking within The World?" Zoey asked, hoping for a positive answer. "And was Orca investigating it?" Kite added. "I don't have the details." Bob shook his head before continuing. "Linda was asking him all kinds of questions. Maybe she knows more about it." Bob suggested.

"Where can we find her?" Zoey asked him. "She's probably at Delta Buried Pagan Fiery Sands." Bob told them. "Thank you. We'll check it out." Kite bowed in gratitude. "Oh, and here." Bob smiled as he gave Kite and Zoey two stat raising books.

"I think Orca was going to give these to you." Bob smiled again. Kite and Zoey were silent as they bowed in gratitude slowly as Bob logged out. They decided to warp to Delta Buried Pagan Fiery Sands.

The area was a fiery desert. They head deeper into the dungeon, eventually, they found who they're looking for, Linda.

"Are you Orca's friend?" Linda asked Kite. "Yeah. And this is my friend, Zoey. She has a friend who also fell into a coma because of a monster with a red wand." Kite introduced Zoey to Linda, Zoey waved.

"Bob told me about you two. It's about the rumour, right?" Linda asked before continuing on. "The World is not just an online game… There's something with some other purpose lurking inside it." Linda stated seriously.

"Some other purpose…?" Kite raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. After all, it's just a rumour. And I'm not sure if it even exists." Linda shrugged. "But Orca and Balmung were working together to find the truth about it." Linda added.

"Orca and Balmung…" Zoey gasped. "Balmung of the Azure Sky, Orca of the Azure Sea… The most powerful party known as 'Descendants of Fianna.'" Linda stated.

Linda looked down and stated "But even Orca… Take my advice. Forget about the rumour." Linda advised. "No. We have to help our friends. My fiend Bridge and Kite's friend, Orca need our help." Zoey stated seriously, a look of determination on her face.

"I see. So that's your reason." Linda nodded. "In that case, check out Delta Lonely Silent Great Sea. Orca told me he found a strange room in that area. May the grace of the Twilight Dragon be with you." Linda bowed as she Gate Out back to Root Town.

"We found a lead…" Kite whispered, Zoey nodded in agreement as they used a Sprite Ocarina to escape.

When they warped back to Root Town, Natsume was running up to them. "Hey! Hey guys!" Natsume stopped near her friends.

"Hey Natsume, what's up?" Zoey smiled. "I found a area worth training for. But they say it's been locked. It's called Delta Lonely Silent Great Sea." Natsume smiled. Kite and Zoey gasped in shock. "That's… where we're heading to."

"Great! We'll go together! And I won't take no for an answer!" Natsume smiled again. "…" Kite and Zoey sighed as they added Natsume to their party. They went to the Chaos Gate and selected Delta Lonely Silent Great Sea. The Protected Area words appeared on their screens and Kite and Zoey's Gate Hacking Menus appeared on their arms.

"W-Whoa! What is that?!" Natsume gawked. "Natsume… Hold on tight." Kite advised as he and Zoey inserted the required Virus Cores. "Huh, what do you meeaaaaaaannnnnn?!" Natsume screamed as the party entered the data tunnel and made it to Delta Lonely Silent Great Sea.

Natsume panted heavily as she looked around, it was a corrupted area. "Oh my God… What was that?!" Natsume panicked. Kite and Zoey looked down. They explained everything to Natsume about gate hacking.

"Wow, those skills must be really useful." Natsume stated. "Yeah…. But they could be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands." Kite looked at the ground sadly. "Don't worry! I'm sure you two will do good with them." Natsume exclaimed cheerfully. "T-Thank you… Let's head into the dungeon." Zoey smiled a little as the party head into the dungeon.

When they reached the end of the dungeon, they saw a room similar to the room with the teddy bears. Except it has a half eaten chair and holes on the ground. "W-What the… It looks looks like someone or something eaten half the room!" Natsume gasped in shock as she looked around.

Kite noticed a letter on the ground and picked it up. He couldn't make out what it meant, he puts it in his key items pocket. "You may be right, Natsume… Something is not right here…" Zoey nodded slowly. "Just… what the hell is going on?" Kite stammered as they decided to head back to Root Town and log out.

When Zoey removed her Neuro Goggles, she saw she got a new email. It's from BlackRose. The subject said "Found a clue!" and it read:

**"I succeeded in contacting Alf's friend. I'm meeting up with Meg at Theta Great Distant Fertile Land. So why don't you and Kite come along as well? Let's pray there's something…" **

"BlackRose also found a possible clue." Zoey stated seriously as she placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged back into The World.

When she got to Theta sever, she sees Kite and BlackRose waiting for her. "You two ready?" Zoey asked them seriously. "Yeah. We may find a clue at Theta Great Distant Fertile Land." BlackRose nodded. After forming their party, they warped to Theta Great Distant Fertile Land.

They head deeper into the dungeon and made it to where Meg was waiting. BlackRose noticed her. "Hey, here she is." BlackRose smiled. They saw Meg talking to a administrator, they noticed them and the administrator logged out. "Hello." Meg waved, she was a Blademaster as the party ran up to her.

"Meg? What's the name of the area Alf went to?" Zoey asked her politely. Meg looked down in sadness and muttered "Forget about it.." "Huh?! What do you mean by that?!" BlackRose demanded.

"I just posted the keywords to that area on the Board, but it seems to be dangerous. I'm sorry!" Meg cried as she logged out. The party were silent as Kite decided to break the silence. "Let's check out the Board." The party nodded in agreement as they logged out.

Zoey removed her Neuro Goggles and selected the Board. When she found the topic she was looking for, she opened it and gasped in shock. Meg's post about the location was deleted!

"No! No, no, no, no!" Zoey shouted in frustration as she jumped on her bed and buried her face in her pillow and cried. "We were so close…" She choked through her tears. Suddenly, her computer beeped. Curious, Zoey got up from her bed and checked her email. She gasped in shock at what she has seen in her new emails…

Arc 1, to be concluded…

Next and final chapter of Arc 1: First Phase: Tragedy

A/N: Well, it's not my best chapter, but it's a little bit long. Next up, it's the showdown with the first of the 8 Phases, Skeith! And Arc 1 draws to a close with some questions left unanswered in the final chapter of Arc 1. Stay tuned!


	20. First Phase: Tragedy

A/N: Time for the finale of Arc 1, and then, time for Arc 2: Mutation! So here it is! Chapter 20!

Chapter 20: First Phase: Tragedy

"It's from… Aura! But what about the second email?" Zoey gasped as she read Aura's email first. Like with Aura's email, she couldn't make out what Aura was saying. But she could tell that Aura was worried.

"Now for the second email… Huh?!" Zoey gasped as she read who sent her the second email. "H-Helba?!" Zoey gawked. Helba's subject said "To Kite and Zoey" and it read:

**"Here is the deleted post from Meg: "Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness. He said he saw a girl in white and a monster with a red wand playing tag. I received an email from Alf's family, which said he slip into a coma while playing the game…" The monster you seek is in that area. Also, the data volume is increasing in: Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness. However, defeating Skeith is only the beginning. The battle is far from over…"**

'What is Helba talking about…?' Zoey was confused at first, but then, she has a look of determination. She has found him, the monster who put Bridget and Orca into a coma! This is it! Her chance of saving Bridget!

She sent everyone she knew except for Piros, Natsume, Sanjuro and Gardenia about the info she got from a reliable source. She got an email from Kite saying she also got an email about the area the Monster with the Red Wand was located in.

'This is it… I'm gonna save you Bridget by defeating that… that… that thing with the red wand! He's gonna pay, big time!' Zoey thought vigorously as she placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World.

Zoey logged in, she sees everyone here, including Mistral. "So what's up, Zoey? You said you found something?" Akane asked in concern. Zoey looked at her friends seriously and stated "IT might be there…"

"H-Huh?" Kagome gasped. "The bastard who got both Orca and Bridge… Maybe if we defeat the Monster with the Red Wand, they will wake up…" Kite guessed seriously.

Zoey was silent when Kite said that. "So you two are gonna defeat it?" BlackRose asked seriously. "Not without us, you're not! I been itching to take on this thing with the red wand." Inuyasha interjected.

"We don't know how strong the Monster with the Red Wand is, but he's going down for what he has done!" Zoey shouted bravery. "Don't even try to stop us. We're gonna try to beat the thing responbile for both your friends' comas and messing up Nerima's computers." Ranma stated seriously, his friends nodded in agreement. "We don't know how much help we can be, but we'll do our best." Yukinari stated bravery.

"Yes. That monster must pay for what he has done to the players of The World." Kirie nodded with a brave frown. "Cool! We're gonna meet that event girl!" Mistral cheered.

"E-Everyone…" Zoey smiled softly. "..Ok, let's go kick that monster's ass." Kite raised his arm in victory, the others did the same and shouted "YEAH!" Kite and Zoey after the parties were formed walked up to the Chaos Gate and selected Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness. When they did, the Protected Area words appeared on screen and the Gate Hacking menus appeared on the two's arms.

Kite and Zoey checked how much Virus Cores it would take to open the Protected Area. They smiled at each other and inserted the required cores, and they and their friends are whisked off to Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness.

When they got there, Kite, Zoey and their friends noticed something. Kite and Zoey's bracelets are shining. "Your bracelets… they're shining…" Sango gasped.

"I wonder why…" Ukyo wondered. "I have a bad feeling about this…" Lisa stated seriously. "Let's head into the dungeon and hope we're not too late." Kite stated seriously, the parties nodded in agreement as they head into the dungeon.

They fought they way to the final floor of the dungeon, they were eager to meet Aura and face the Monster with the Red Wand. They managed to level up to 30.

In the final floor, they see purple mist coming out of the next room. "Inside…" Kite began. "Is the Monster with the Red Wand…" Zoey stated seriously. "Well, let's go get it then!" Ryouga urged, the parties charged in.

They appeared in the battlefield that Bridge was Data Drained on. Kite and Zoey noticed someone. "Aura?!" Kite and Zoey gasped as they and their friends ran up to Aura. Aura looked at them sadly.

"I see you two received the mail I sent to both of you… yet… However, it's too late…" Aura looked down in sadness. "Wait! Please tell us how to bring Bridge and Orca back!" Zoey pleaded.

Suddenly, the Red Wand appeared behind Aura. The parties gasped in shock as the screen flashes and the Monster appeared. "Noooooooooooo!" Both Kite and Zoey screamed. "Damn it!" BlackRose growled in frustration

The Monster with the Red Wand raised his Red Wand up and activated his bracelet. He fired at poor Aura, Aura said nothing nor does she screamed as she was lifted high in the air and split into three red orbs which scattered to who knows where. Kite stammered for a moment till he saw Zoey drawing her blade on the Monster, but then Zoey realized something, when she selected the Monster with the Red Wand, it has a name… Skeith.

"S-Skeith… The Monster with the Red Wand's name is Skeith… Now I understand… Skeith's gonna pay for both Bridge and Aura's suffering!" Zoey screamed out in anger. The parties have fierce looks as they too got their weapons ready. Skeith pointed his wand at them, ready to fight.

**Phase 1: Skeith: The Terror of Death**

"You're mine!" Inuyasha shouted as he slams his blade down on Skeith, he blocked it with his wand and they clashed. "Vak Rom!" Mistral casted a ice spell on Skeith, (A/N: Sorry, I may have gotten that spell wrong.) giving Skeith medium damage. Inuyasha managed to slash Skeith three times before he was knocked to the ground by Skeith.

"Aieyyyaaaaa!" BlackRose shouted as she clashed with Skeith. "You're gonna pay for what you did to Bridge, Orca and Aura, YOU FRICKING BASTARD!" BlackRose screamed out in rage. Skeith said nothing as he knocked BlackRose to the ground and slams his wand, intending to impale her, but BlackRose dodge rolled out of the way and shouted "Calamity!" She used a skill on Skeith, giving him some minor damage.

"Take this!" Kosame shouted as she slams her blade on Skeith, giving him some decent damage. Skeith slams his wand down, creating a shockwave that hit the parties. "Damn, he's strong!" Ryouga shouted as he tried to slash Skeith, but he blocked it and knocked him to the ground. Ryouga got up and casted La Repth to heal his friends.

"Twin Dragon!" Hayate spins like a tornado, hitting Skeith to add up the damage.

"Tiger Claws!" Kite shouted as he hit Skeith 10 times, giving the monster a hefty amount of damage. Skeith waved his wand, making icicles appear and hit the parties for large damage.

"He's powerful, almost as powerful as Naraku!" Miroku gasped in shock. "La Repth!" Mistral quickly casted a spell to heal her friends.

"Triple Doom!" "Um… Double Sweep!" Akane and Koyomi combined their attacks to give Skeith some damage. Skeith used his wand on Shampoo. "Yu Jie!" Ranma and Mousse gasped. "Let Yu Jie go, evil thing!" Shampoo shouted in anger as Skeith readies Data Drain again.

"No! Not again!" Kite gasped as a flashback of Orca being Data Drained occurred. Suddenly, both Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined and casted auras around the parties, including Shampoo. Skeith fired, but instead of Shampoo being Data Drained, she was inflicted with many bad status effects. "Yu Jie… is not in coma?' Shampoo blinked as Ranma used status curing items on her.

"I think I know." Ranma grinned. "Kite and Zoey saved you, their bracelets must have casted auras around us to protect us from Skeith's Data Drain." "Oooooh!" Shampoo's eyes sparkled. "Maybe Yu Jie ask Kite to marry Yu Jie?" Mousse heard this and cried.

"W-Watch out! He's about to attack! "Ani Dom!" Lisa casted a dark spell on Skeith, giving him some damage.

"Hahahaha! Watch me, my harem!" Fukuyama shouted in excitement as he charged at Skeith, but Skeith knocked him to the ground. The girls in the parties sighed.

"Hiraikotsu" Sango swings her boomerang at Skeith, giving it some large damage. Miroku casted a lightning spell on Skeith, giving it some damage.

"Aieyyaaaa!" Zoey charged at Skeith and slashed him three times. The words Protect Break appeared on Skeith. "I see… Skeith is just like any Data Bug, which means… Kite! He's all yours!" Zoey grinned at him.

Kite nodded with a smile as he activated his bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" He fired and Skeith was turned into a green rocky version of himself. Kite also got an new virus core.

"Now's our chance! Let's combine our attacks together!" BlackRose shouted, everyone nodded in agreement as they combined their attacks to defeat Skeith, when defeated, Skeith's body let out a green hue.

"We… We did it! Victory is ours!" BlackRose smiled. However, just before they can celebrate, the parties and Skeith's remains appeared in some sort of purple eerie field. "W-What's going on?" Miharu stammered. The screen fizzled and they saw Skeith's remains melted into a silvery ooze.

"Cooooooolllll! Is this another event?!" Mistral jumped up and down in excitement. "Um… I don't think this is an event…?!" Zoey gasped as purple rocks burst from the ground. "W-What the hell is this?!" Kirie stammered. Suddenly, Yukinari looked up and gasped in shock. The parties noticed this and looked up and their eyes widen in fear.

They saw a huge monster with a pinecone like lower body with some sort of organic jewel inside it and its torso consist of roots and its head looked like a skull with eyes. "W-What is that?!" Kite gawked. He didn't get a reply as the monster let out a huge roar which fizzled the screen and made a huge blast wave appear and knocked the parties out into some rocks. They force log out.

Unknown to them, Helba was watching the thing and only said one word… "Cubia…" Before she logs out to who knows where.

Zoey's POV

**"Helba was right… The battle is far from over… I thought defeating Skeith will bring Bridget back… But it turns out there are still questions left unanswered… I tired logging back into The World, but there were server problems for about 2 days… I won't rest… I won't rest till I find out what's going on in The World…"**

To be continued in Arc 2: Mutation…

Ending theme: Gentle Hands

Drawn in by an unseen cold hand,

I pass even time as it flows to eternity.

As your eyes look away into the hazy distance,

what is revealed to them, I cannot see.

As the moonlight shines on my bitter cold fingers.

Frozen tears of mine begin to flow anew.

I look at the sky. That distant far off dream,

it always has me in its view.

Unafraid, I reach my hand into the darkness.

I am at the point of no return.

If I truly realize the person I am,

hidden away inside my deepest memories.

I still want to believe that you will return to me.

Until you are with me, together in this place.

I still want to feel until the end of time.

The gentle loving touch of your hands on my face.

Trapped inside this cage made of glass,

hurt feelings held captive in the cold and icy night.

From far beyond the infinite dark.

There must always be a ray of light.

I know that your eternal shining light

will embrace me in the warmth of infinity.

While trying to run from the pain of reality,

I'm losing sight of what is so important to me.

I still want to believe that you will return to me.

Until you are with me, together in this place.

I still want to feel until the end of time.

The gentle loving touch of your hands on my face.

Drawn in by an unseen cold hand,

I pass even time as it flows to eternity.

As your eyes look away into the hazy distance,

what is revealed to them, I cannot see.

What is revealed to them, I cannot see.

A/N: Well, that's the end of Arc 1: Infection, next up is Arc 2: Mutation with Fruits Basket, Green Green, Love Hina and Koihime Musou. New friends and new enemies including Koga and his pack (Friends) and Akito (Enemy) So I hope you enjoyed Arc 1 of Dot Hack Mew Mew, I will start on Arc 2 soon! See you next time!


	21. Darkness

A/N: Well, time for Arc 2 of Dot Hack Mew Mew. New crossovers appearing in this arc are Green Green, Fruits Basket, Love Hina and Koihime Musou. So here is opening 2 of Dot Hack Mew Mew!

Edge from Dot Hack Liminality plays:

kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

kono michi o nido to modoru koto wa dekinai

ano toki fumihazushita kyoukaisen no mukou ni

kimi wa donna yume egaite ochite itta

You are always going like this, and even if you pile on the lies

You can never again return by this road

What kind of dream were you drawing and fell into

That time when you lost your footing on the other side of the border?

ashita ni wa miete kuru mirai nante ROKU demo nai kedo

moshi ka shitara sonna mono ni sugaritsuite ikite iru

kitto hontou wa kimi mo watashi mo chigau basho de onaji mono o

sagashiteru, kanjiteru, tatta hitotsu no shinjitsu

sore dake o tada shiritakute

nani mo motazu ni koko ni iru

yume to utsutsu o samayou, we're too close to the edge

The future visible in tomorrow isn't even close to satisfactory, but

Perhaps we're living clinging to such things

Surely the truth is that you and I are searching for the same thing

Feeling the same thing - the one truth - in different places

That alone is what we want to know

So we are here holding on to nothing

Prowling in dreams and reality, we're too close to the edge

kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

fumihazushita michi o modoru koto wa dekinai

kimi ga ima doko ni ite nani o mitsumete ite mo

sonna fuu ni kokoro hanashita mama futari wa aishiau no

You are always going like this, and even if you pile on the lies

You can't return by the road you lost your footing on

No matter where you are now, no matter what you're gazing at

Two people love each other in that way with their hearts still separate

ashita ni wa miete kuru donna mirai o shinjite

tasogare no shizukesa o mou ichido mitsukeru tame ni aruiteru

kono basho o

Tomorrow, believing in whatever kind of future is visible

We'll be walking in order to once again discover the serenity of the twilight

Walking in this place

ashita ni wa miete kuru mirai nante ROKU demo nai kedo

sonna mono o shinjiteru baka na tsuyosa ga hoshii dake

kitto koukai ya nagusame yori mo konkyo no nai netsuryou de

ikite itai, sore dake de

kanjiteru, aruiteru, kono basho ni tatte utatteru

nani mo motazu ni koko ni iru

ashita wa doko e yukou ka, we're too close to the edge

The future visible in tomorrow isn't even close to satisfactory, but

We only want the foolish strength that believes in that kind of thing

Surely we want to live with a groundless passion

Greater than regret, consolation, and the like, feeling only that much

And walking, singing while standing in this place

We are here holding on to nothing

Where will we go tomorrow? We're too close to the edge

kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

fumihazushita michi no saki o mitodokeru made

miehajimeta hikari ni nani ga umarete kuru no

sonna fuu ni yume o hanashita mama futari wa aishiau no

You are always going like this, even if you pile on the lies

Until you make sure of the point on the road you lost your footing

What is being born in the light just starting to appear?

Two people love each other in that way with their dreams still separate

Scenes of Arc 1 of Dot Hack Mew Mew with Helba narrating.

**"The day Kite and Zoey played The World… Their friends Orca and Bridget AKA Bridge fell into a coma by Skeith's Data Drain… Using the Books of Twilight given to them by the Girl in White, Aura, they have acquired the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking, the same powers that putted both Orca and Bridge into a coma. They knew that something is lurking within The World and real life people from the Feudal Era somehow got sucked into The World with their real world bodies. Also, something strange is happening to the island of Nerima's computers… So Kite and Zoey befriended players in The World, each with a different goal. One of them is BlackRose, an beginning Heavy Blade and Mistral, a Wavemaster who thinks this is part of the game… With their and other players who join their cause's help, they managed to defeat Skeith… However, Skeith's defeat gave birth to a monster known as Cubia… And hence where the second part of our story begins…"**

Arc 2: Mutation.

Chapter 21: Darkness

Zoey was sleeping, she was moaning in her sleep. She's having an nightmare of the monster that appeared after she and her friends defeated Skeith. It was about to use the same roar on her and her friends again.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Zoey screamed as she woke up and panted heavily. Sweat running down her face… She looked up at the ceiling. "It was just a dream… again…" Zoey muttered as she fell back asleep again.

It has been a day since she and her friends defeated Skeith, the Monster with the Red Wand… However, Skeith's defeat didn't bring back Bridget and Orca. Instead, they faced a monster of colossal size which forced them to log out; Inuyasha and his friends from the Feudal Era were warped back to Root Town after the monster's terrifying roar.

Since then, the servers were having problems for awhile for 2 days. Tomorrow will be day 2 and the servers will come back online… And that same day will be the start of summer vacation.

Zoey also have nightmares of Aura being Data Drained by Skeith… She couldn't do anything to save Aura, the only one who can help them… But… for some strange reason, she can feel that Aura is alive, somewhere in The World…

And that, morning came…

"Now, I want all of you to have a safe summer vacation and remember. Studying is optional, but recommended. I know some of you are wondering why the computers were acting funny since a mysterious event happened yesterday; the government is still looking into it. Aside from that, have a safe and happy summer vacation." Zoey's teacher smiled. The entire class except for Zoey cheered.

As Zoey was packing her things, Mimi and Molly walked up to her. "Hey Zoey? What's up? You're not your usual cheerful self lately." Mimi asked in concern. "Yeah, you had been acting gloomy the entire day. Something on your mind?" Molly asked with kindness.

"Um…" Zoey looked away sadly. "It's nothing, really. Sorry to worry you…" Zoey stated softly as she calmly left. Mimi and Molly looked at each other in confusion and concern.

Zoey was walking down a street in Tokyo, in thought about what happened. "Hey! Hey! Zoey!" A childish energetic voice called out to her. Zoey turned around, she can see Kikki on her circus ball rolling up to her. Zoey panicked before Kikki stopped her ball.

"Kikki? What are you doing here?" Zoey asked in surprise. "I heard you're feeling down after Bridget fell into a coma, so I decided to cheer you up!" Kikki got out a hat out of nowhere and pulled out two birds.

"These birds resemble the power of friendship. Legend has it if you believe in the birds, good things will happen. I heard it from a storyteller at home. So, these birds are telling you to cheer up and do your best!" Kikki grinned.

Zoey giggled. "Why thanks, Kikki. You're a really good friend. Well, I'm heading home. Wanna come with?" Zoey smiled softly. "OK!" Kikki nodded happily as they head to Zoey's house.

Zoey and Kikki greeted Zoey's parents and the two of them went into Zoey's room. Zoey went to her computer and turned it on. Kikki watched in wonder.

"Zoey, you checking email from admirers, namely Mark?" Kikki teased. "Oh, be quiet, Kikki! I need to check email from my friends." Zoey grumbled as she selected her inbox. She got two emails from CC Corp about The World's latest update.

"Coolll! Bridget was playing The World before she fell into a coma, so you playing it too?" Kikki asked her friend with a smile. "Yeah… That's the reason I'm playing it, to find out why Bridget fell into a coma…" Zoey nodded.

"Huh?" Kikki has an question mark above her head. Zoey told Kikki everything that has happened, about Aura, the Girl in White who gave her the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking and Skeith, the monster who put Bridget into a coma.

"Wow… I didn't know stuff like that happened in The World…" Kikki looked down in sadness. "Yeah, after me and my friends defeated Skeith, I thought it would wake Bridget from her coma, but I was wrong… Something tells me there's more to this in The World." Zoey stated seriously as she checked her email more. She got 6 new emails from her friends. The first one is from Ranma and the subject said "What happened?!" and it read:

**"What the hell happened? …I thought defeating Skeith would restore the computers in Nerima… But… That thing just appeared and made it even worse… Is what we're doing right? We couldn't save Aura. So what do we do now?" **

Zoey replied with "I dunno what happened either. But we're heading back to the area where we fought Skeith and face that thing. Gather your friends and we'll try to fight that huge monster…" She sent the reply.

"Who's Ranma?" Kikki asked her friend. "He's a friend from the Island of Nerima. Recently, his home's computers are acting funky, so he and his friends joined The World to find the source of the virus. Me and another player met him a few days ago before the start of summer vacation." Zoey told her as she checked her second email, it's from Kagome. The subject said "I don't know what to do…" and it read:

**"I thought defeating the Monster with the Red Wand, Skeith will send my friends from the Feudal Era back to their home. But were we wrong? We couldn't save Aura. What should we do?"**

Zoey replied with "We should keep playing The World till we find some answers. I have a hunch that Aura isn't exactly dead. I need yours and your friends help on this. So stay with me and Kite, OK?" Zoey sent the reply.

The third email is from Yukinari and the subject said "That was scary…" and it read:

**"Defeating Skeith didn't bring back your friend, Bridge… But what's going on? I thought defeating Skeith will bring Bridge back… And most importantly, Aura died. I know I should be sad about her demise, but we got to keep moving till we solve this mystery. I'll do my best, so will my friends from Seiren and Earth. (Smiley)" **

"Seiren?" Kikki asked, confusedly. "I'll explain later." Zoey told her with a smile and replied to Yukinari's email. "Thanks, YuYu. I'm glad you're still gonna help us. Also, I think Aura isn't dead. I'm not sure yet." Zoey sent the reply.

The fourth email is from Kite and the subject said "…" and it read:

**"I thought defeating Skeith will bring Orca and Bridge back… But we were wrong… Now that thing is most of our problems… I'm heading back there to face it. You coming along?" **

Zoey replied with "Of course. We'll do our best to try to beat that thing." Zoey sent the reply. "Who's Kite, Zoey? A funny name if you ask me." Kikki turned to Zoey and asked her that. "Kite is like me. He too has a friend who has fallen into a coma and he has the same powers as me, Data Drain and Gate Hacking." Zoey told her.

"Coooolll. I bet you and Kite get along well." Kikki closed her eyes and smiled. "Yep. Because of him, we met wonderful friends from both The World and the Feudal Era. The Feudal Era I will explain later, OK?" Zoey smiled as she read the fifth email. It's from BlackRose and her subject said "Is this for real?" and it read:

**"I thought once we got the Monster with the Red Wand, Skeith, everything would be solved. It was baseless, but… I thought everything would be back to normal… What did we do? Was what we did right? I'm not wrong, right?"**

'BlackRose is in thought about what happened…' Zoey thought as she replied with "No, you're not wrong. There is still we don't understand and the only way we can solve this is to go back into The World." Zoey sent the reply.

The final email is from Mistral and the subject said "Coolll" And it read:

**"I didn't know they had monsters like that! Especially the big scary one with a skull as a head! Let's play again! (Wide Smiley)"**

Zoey smiled softly as she replied with "Of course. With a Wavemaster like you on our side, there's no way we can lose." She sent the reply.

"Wow, Zoey. You have some wonderful friends who know about your powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking. I feel so jealous!" Kikki's eyes sparkle in delight. "Thanks, Kikki. Well, I'm going to head back into The World to try to save Bridge and solve this mystery. Wish me luck." Zoey smiled as she placed the Neuro Goggles on her head and logged into The World. "I'll clean up the house a little bit while you do that." Kikki smiled as she was asked by Zoey's parents to help clean up the house since she's a good housekeeper.

Zoey appeared on Dun Loireag, Theta Sever. There, she sees her entire friends with her friends from Nerima and the Feudal era included. The only ones who are not present are Mistral, Piros, Natsume, Sanjuro and Gardenia.

Zoey ran up to her friends. "We're heading back to Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness?" Zoey asked them. "Yeah." Kite nodded. "We're heading back there to find out what the hell happened." Ryouga added.

"I agree with Yukito, it feels icky leaving it hanging like this!" BlackRose nodded. "Thanks. Now let's go." Zoey smiled as everyone formed their parties and warped to the area where they fought Skeith.

When they got there, Inuyasha noticed something. "Hey, Kite and Zoey's bracelets… They're not shining or something." The parties noticed it too. "You know, I just noticed that." Akane nodded.

"Who cares?! That thing's gonna rue the day he makes a fool out of Kazzy!" Fukuyama growled. "Yeah! That thing is going down for making a fool out of Tomoka the Great!" Tomoka nodded in agreement. The parties sighed as they head into the dungeon.

However, when they first entered, Sango noticed something odd… "That's strange… There are no demons here." Sango stated seriously. "H-Huh?" BlackRose turned to Sango in shock. "Yeah. There are no magic portals here. I wonder why…" Lisa added. "Hmm…" Kosame was wondering that too.

As they head down to the next floor, BlackRose brought something up. "I wonder if that big thing is still here?" "Yeah, me too… If so, can we defeat it?" Mousse added. "We won't know unless we try." Zoey stated seriously as she and Kite walked forward, everyone looked at each other uneasily as they followed them.

In the next floor, the party stopped, tension built in them. BlackRose nervously walked a bit till Kite said "Hey." BlackRose yelped as she nearly dropped her sword. "What?!" BlackRose turned to face Kite with an angry glare.

Kite looked down a bit till he said in amusement "Aren't you afraid? I bet Zoey's afraid…" Kite smiled. "Who me?!" BlackRose frowned as she closed her eyes, held her nose like a snob and replied "Hmph! I'm not afraid! No way!"

The parties laughed at this. "What's so funny?!" BlackRose opened one eye and glared at her friends with it. "We're all afraid, well most of us." Kagome smiled. BlackRose looked down in sadness and muttered "Well, all right, I am." BlackRose looked at her hand and continued with "I'm scared enough for all of us… My controller is soaked with sweat." BlackRose sighed sadly before turning to Kite with a hint of red and muttered "What about you and Zoey, huh?"

"Yeah… To be honest… I'm terrified… But I…" Kite stopped in mid sentence. "Same here… But we… can't let that stop us…" Zoey stated, a hint of courage in her voice. BlackRose smiled and turned to her two main friends and replied with "You're right…"

Everyone else smiled, they see new bonds forming. They head to the fifth floor.

The parties stopped again. Kite noticed something with a gasp, BlackRose yelped again as she dropped her sword. "What?! What?!" She snapped at him. "Um…" Zoey smiled nervously. BlackRose glared at Kite for a moment before marching up to him and growled "Hey, what did I tell you?! That is rude! Really, really rude!"

"Sorry…" Kite bowed his head in apology before he pointed to something on the wall. "But that… graphic on the wall, it…" "Where, where?!" BlackRose panicked. "Hey, cool down, BlackRose." Ranma reassured her, Akane glared at him.

"It's my imagination. But it's just that… for a moment, it seemed to transform." Kite stated. "Huh… I wonder why?" Koyomi shifted uneasily. "Awwww…. Don't ever scare me like that again!" BlackRose glared at Kite who sweat dropped, then she turned to Zoey and shouted "You too, Zoey!" Zoey sweat dropped. Kite smiled with a chuckle.

"It's not funny! Don't you dare smiley at me!" BlackRose glared at him. Kite smirked as he placed his hands on his sides and replied with "Excuse me, but didn't something like this happened once before? Plus, you're cute when you're angry like that." BlackRose blushed a hint of red before turning away and shouted "Shut up!" Then, BlackRose looked down in sadness.

"Er… Yeah. Oh, okay. I confess. I'm just a newbie that's trying to act big and tough. Go on, everyone can laugh at me if all of you want!" BlackRose frowned as she folded her arms and pouted.

Kite chuckled with a smile and then asked "Zoey and I were wondering…" "Now what?! You're pissing me off!" BlackRose gritted her teeth angrily. "Same here…" Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"The reason I'm here… is because I want to help Orca…" Kite looked down. "I also came here to help Bridge… What about you, BlackRose?" Zoey smiled softly at her. "Because…" BlackRose was about to speak about the reason she's playing The World, till Miroku noticed someone coming up to them from behind. "And you are?" Miroku stated calmly as the parties turned around to see…

"Balmung!" Kite and Zoey gasped. "Sir Jerkalot!" Ryouga and Mousse growled. "I come here to discover the cause, and I find you again. Explain!" Balmung growled.

"Explain my ass! You don't know anything!" BlackRose countered with a glare of her own. "We already told him the other day." Kite smiled. "Nani?!" The parties turned to Kite and Zoey with shock faces.

"If he knows, then does this jerk know what we're trying to do?!" Kirie snapped as she glared at Balmung. "I do understand. But you need to face facts. With all of you involved, things get worse. That's how I see it. Am I wrong?" Balmung glared. "Why you little!" Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore as he draws his Tetsusaiga and was about to clash with Balmung till Balmung leaped up and did a leg sweep on Inuyasha and pointed his sword at Inuyasha's throat.

"Don't ever think of going against me if you want to live!" Balmung glared at him. Inuyasha snarled. Balmung frowned as he sheathed his sword and began to walk away in cold fashion.

"Man, what a jerk… He's like someone I know…" Akane glared at Ranma. "Hey!" Ranma shouted in annoyance. "Maybe… Maybe he's got his own reason, one that's different from ours." Kite guessed sadly. "Um, guys…?" Miharu came in with a look of worry.

"Take a look at this…" Miharu motioned everyone to follow her. When they did, they gasped in shock to see the path to Skeith's room blocked by a gate. "What the… It's a dead end!" Shippo gasped in shock.

"I guess we can't go back in." Zoey figured. Everyone Gate out to Root Town.

When they did, they found a shop keeper waiting for them. "You two are the players who won the Power Up Campaign, right?" The shop keeper asked. Kite and Zoey nodded. "We had found out that the item we gave you has a defect that won't let you install it. We will exchange the item with the Books of Absolute." The shop keeper smiled as Kite and Zoey gave him their Books of Law and got the Books of Absolute.

The shop keeper logged out. "Power Up Campaign? What's that?" BlackRose asked, a bit suspicious. "It's a contest we won. Let's try installing them now." Kite stated as he and Zoey used the Books of Absolute, but like with the Books of Law and Books of Iron, they won't let them install them. Kite and Zoey were silent.

"They won't let us install them…" Zoey muttered dryly. "I smell a rat…" Inuyasha frowned. "Well, let's head home. Inuyasha and friends can hang tight till we get back tomorrow." Kite smiled. Everyone nodded in agreement as they logged out.

Inuyasha was silent. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked in concern. "I dunno, but there was something suspicious about that shop keeper." Inuyasha frowned again.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The System Admins


	22. The System Admins

Chapter 22: The System Admins

Zoey finished her daily walk. BlackRose was right, she has to get out more. She's not fat or anything, but Zoey knew she can't play video games forever and summer vacation is a great way to exercise. She returned home and turned on her computer.

When she checked her email, she gasped in shock. It was an email from Aura! 'H-How is Aura able to send me email after she was Data Drained by Skeith?! I think I may be right about her being alive!' Once again, Zoey couldn't make out what Aura was trying to say, but she figured a bit out on the words.

'Three Segments… Scattered across The World…" Zoey muttered as she lay back on her chair. 'Could she be referring to the red data orbs she was turned into?' Zoey got another email. This time…

'There's no name of the sender!' Zoey gasped. The subject said "Information" and it read:

**"I may have the information to cure those in a coma and fix the computers in the island of Nerima. If you are interested, then come to: Theta Soaring Sky Bounded Abyss. I'll be waiting."**

"Hmm…" Zoey scratched her chin in thought. "I don't have any leads right now… I'll check it out." Zoey put on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

She used the Chaos Gate to arrive at Theta Soaring Sky Bounded Abyss. It was a completely white area with nothing in sight. She walked up a bit, nervous about what might happened. "Zoey?!" A voice called out to her.

Zoey yelped as she looked for the source. She noticed Kite, BlackRose, Kagome, Inuyasha and Ranma walking up to her. Zoey sighed in relief. Then, she realized something. "Did you guys receive an email about how to cure comatose players and fix Nerima's computers?" Zoey asked them.

"Yeah… I don't know who sent it." Kite nodded. "There was a clue to curing comatose players and fixing Nerima's computers. Something is not right about those emails…" Ranma frowned. "I smell a rat…" Inuyasha growled.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions, Inuyasha. We don't know if it is a hoax or not." Kagome scolded him. "Wait, let me try something." BlackRose started as she tried to Gate Out, but couldn't.

"That's weird…" BlackRose looked at her hands. "Look, I can't Gate Out…" She muttered in a bit of fear. Suddenly, a boom and static sound occurred. "W-What was that sound?!" BlackRose gasped in shock. Inuyasha tensed as he looked up. "Up there!" Inuyasha shouted, everyone looked up to see a green data cube appearing and then forming into a man who looked like a green shopkeeper, but this one is different from the other ones.

Kite, Zoey and their friends were surprised before more data cubes appeared and formed into more different shopkeepers. "Welcome… I am Lios… The System Administrator of The World…" The green shopkeeper now indentified as the leader named Lios stated coldly. 'Lios… The man Helba told us to watch out for…' Zoey thought to herself.

"You have ignored our warnings… and have gone too far…" Lios frowned as the admins turned to face Kite, Zoey and the gang, glaring at them. Lios floated down and stated "If all of you hadn't interfered… then the situation would not have deteriorated." Lios stated coldly.

"You not only did nothing about the coma victims, but…" Kite frowned, then Zoey finished for him by saying "You also try to cover up that fact, didn't you?! Bridge is in a coma because of this game!" She snapped angrily. "And what about the computers in Nerima?! And your actions?! Huh?!" Ranma glared at Lios.

"Viruses that were spread by hackers caused the series of problems. If you want to blame someone, blame them…" Lios frowned as he folded his arms. "What a load of bull!" Inuyasha growled.

"Are you saying… that if I blame someone, those who are in a coma will awake and return to normal?!" BlackRose walked towards Lios menacely. "Then… okay! Sure! I'll accuse them all you want! Kazu's still in the hospital! Bring him back!" BlackRose shouted angrily.

"Kazu?" Both Kite and Zoey asked in confusion. "We are currently investigating the relationship between The World and those who fell comatose… We are not twiddling our thumbs, I assure you. We're working on countermeasures. But aside from that… to take immediate action to prevent situation from worsening… It requires that you two delete your characters." Lios stated smugly.

Kite and Zoey friends gasped in shock. "What do you mean delete our characters?!" Zoey glared at Lios. "You two should know that your characters violates the software usage agreement… Installation of a illegal effect. You two do know what I'm referring to?" Lios held out his arm and emitted a green spark, ready to fire. "I will delete you two now…"

However, before Lios can fire, a voice said "Wait a moment…" The gang and Lios and his admins looked for the source till a data hole appeared and out stepped Helba!

"Helba?!" Lios gasped in shock. 'Wait! That's Helba?! As in… The Helba?!" Kagome gasped in shock. "What's a famous criminal doing here?!" Ranma gawked "Lios… Do you want to be one of the lost ones as well?" Helba smirked. "What?!" Lios demanded, a bit angry.

"I wonder what will happen if the boy and girl performed Data Drain. Right here and now…" Helba stated coolly. "We wouldn't do that! Not after what that power did to our friends!" Zoey shook her head in protest. Kite nodded in agreement with her.

"I know… Since you two aren't stupid. The stupid one is this pig-headed man." Helba smirked as she gestures at Lios, Inuyasha and Ranma couldn't help but snicker. "You don't understand how it works. Yet, you'll delete it before finding that out? Or, do you even posses the ability to delete it in the first place?" Helba questioned Lios amusedly. Lios growled.

"The boy and girl's character data is so well protected, the System Administrator can't even crack it. In spite of the fact you developed a vaccine and disguised it as a rare item…" Helba smirked again.

"Wait! The Books of Absolute and Books of Iron and the Power Up Campaign… Those were set ups to try to delete our characters?!" Zoey shouted in anger, now figuring out why those items won't let her and Kite install them.

"Deleting those you cannot control is something that a pig-head would do." Helba chuckled. "Um, can we say something?" Kite began, then Zoey continued for him. "We… don't really care about what happens to our character datas…"

"Wait! What do you mean you don't?!" BlackRose gasped in shock. "Yeah! Aren't you two gonna use them to save your friends?!" Inuyasha growled. "It's true… Like we said before… We simply want to help our friends. And that's all we want to do." Kite stated with a small smile. "That's right. I want to help Bridge as much as I can." Zoey nodded.

"Helba… System Administrator… We need your advice… What should we do?" Kite pleaded. Zoey looked at Kite sadly. "I'm sorry, children… but I don't have the answers to your questions. And I'm positive that pig-head doesn't either…" Helba turned her head to face Lios with a smirk.

"Although…" Helba smiled eerily. "Although?" Both BlackRose and Kagome asked in confusion. "If the designs of this world was based upon writings in the Epitaph of Twilight and the reason people from the Feudal Era and soon anime worlds are sucked into this world… It should provide you two a clue."

"Forget it!" Lios growled. "Lios…" Helba asked. "Yeah, what?" Lios glared at her. "The code name given to a System Administrator… Were you remotely aware that it's the name of the 'King of Light' that appears in the Epitaph?" Helba asked amused. "It is…?" Lios raised an eyebrow.

Helba laughed a bit before she said "Silencing is not the only means of control. Why don't you observe them for a little longer?" Helba suggested. "I won't take orders from you!" Lios growled as he pointed his finger at Helba.

"Orders? No, I'm only offering it as… a suggestion." Helba reassured him, then she continued. "The net is spread throughout the world. If the problems escalate, can you accept responsibility? Its your decision…" Helba countered in amusement.

"Uh…" Lios sweat dropped before he continued by saying "The decision is put on hold for three days. I'll tell you the outcome in three days." Lios frowned as he and his admins disappeared.

"Three days, eh? Hehe. Till then…" Helba bowed as she logged out. "Epitaph of Twilight…" Kite stated when he heard it during the conversation. "I wonder what it means…" BlackRose wondered.

To be continued….

Next chapter: Communication

A/N: Next up, the Green Green gang and the minor characters from Green Green will play The World and meet up with Kite, Zoey and the gang, but first Kite and Zoey need to gain Yuusuke and Futaba's trust. And Mia seems to be the answer to that! So stay tuned!


	23. Communications

A/N: Note that the story in Green Green, the test program for one month has been changed for three months, so it will help my story a bit, ya? On to Chapter 23!

Chapter 23: Communication

We see the fields of the real world near Japan with Helba's voice narrating.

**"Once upon a time… A man and woman of ancient times fell in love. However, since they lived in the ancient times, their love is forbidden. So they made a vow to be reunited once they have reincarnated and be husband and wife till the day they died… This is their story intertwined with the Epitaph of Twilight…"**

Kanenone Academy, a all boys boarding school full of girl hungry high school boys have just started the co-ed program for a all girls school to merge with their school by performing a test run for three months. The boys except for one are super excited to be with girls and sometimes do naughty things with him, but the school staff prevented them from doing that. It was two days ago that this program started with some mishaps. (Episode 3) Now, the staff is proposing a helpful program to bring the boys and girls together since the school has wifi even far from civilization.

The bucked tooth teacher growled as Chigusa lino smiled as she signed the paperwork by delivery men putting down three boxes of something. The class looked in wonder. The girls thought it must be something important while the boys except for one thought it was girls' undies and perverted stuff.

"Oi! Chigusa! What the hell is with these boxes?! You know the boys are dumb as nails to think it's something girl related!" The buck tooth teacher growled. Chigusa chuckled and shook her head no. "No. I thought of something 3 days ago. And I figured it will help bring both genders together. Yuusuke, will you please open the first box?" Chigusa smiled.

"M-Me?" Yuusuke Takasaki blinked. "Go on, Yuusuke! It may be even girls' panties!" Bacchi-Gu cheered, Futuba Kutsuki glared at the fat pervert. 'I feel sorry for you, Takasaki… having to deal with idiot fat morons like him and his gang!' She sighed sadly.

Yuusuke nodded with a gulp as he walked up to the boxes and used a knife given to him by Chigusa-sensei and opened it. When he did, his eyes widen in surprise. "W-What the hell….? Video games?" Yuusuke stuttered, he was looking at packages of The World with controllers and Neuro Goggles included. Futuba was also surprised. 'Video games?! What is Chigusa trying to do…?' She thought.

"Stand aside, Yuusuke! Let us see!" Bacchi-Gu and his two cohorts, Ichiban-Boshi and Tenjin Taizo knocked poor Yuusuke aside and checked to see if it is Adult rated video games for the PC. They frowned as they see only The World on it and no naked women or girls.

"What the hell is this?! And what's with the weird goggles?!" Bacchi-Gu growled as he picked up the package of The World and muttered "And what kind of shit name is The World?" Ichiban-Boshi suddenly remembered what The World means.

"I see! This must be the highly talked game I heard from Dr. Tanaka's latest book. He even played it." Ichiban-Boshi smiled. Reika Morimura was silent as she heard the phrase 'The World'. 'So… They decide to play the game that will decide the fate of this world and 3 anime worlds…' She thought to herself.

"The World?" Arisa Haruno smiled like an idiot. "I didn't know you can play with real life people in Earth using video games! Oh wow, I bet I can pair all men with each other! Oh I feel tingly all over!" Arisa hugged herself as she day dreams of men kissing each other. It's censored, folks! Don't worry!)

"Not Earth, but the online game, The World." Chigusa closed her eyes and smiled nervously. Midori Chitose gasped in shock as she dropped her pencil. 'T-The World… the same game that almost caused the destruction of both the real world and 3 anime worlds back in 2013…' She looked down, she also remembered that a group of players in this timeline from history articles of the 31st century where she was born have saved both the real world and 3 anime worlds. And here she is, about to relieve the events that will save this world and the 3 anime worlds.

"What the hell are you thinking, Chigusa?! Letting students play video games… It will rot their brains!" The buck-toothed teacher growled angrily. "No, it will allow them to communicate with people around the world through the most popular online game ever imagined. It will bring them closer together which is why I advised my students to bring their laptops with them when we first came here." Chigusa smiled again. The female students can barely contain their excitement. They heard about The World from their school and they are so excited to play this game.

Wakaba Kutsuki brings Togurma to her face a little and smiled and said "I'll be playing an popular online game, Togurma, but I will still take care of you." Togurma vibrated in response.

Sanae Minami was nervous about this, what if she runs into PKs aka Player Killers in The World? But she knew she'll be ok with her friends and Yuusuke.

The Baka Trio formed a group huddle. "Hear that? Not only we get to play an online game, but we can score with chicks around the world!" Bacchi-Gu drooled as the thought of harem in virtual reality coming to him.

"Futuba will be impressed by my well created character! Oh, I got to think up a good character to make and I bet Dr. Tanaka's book I have can provide me the creative tips I need!" Ichiban-Boshi ran off with his The World starter pack to get started.

"I will create a character that will become strong to protect Sanae-chan!" Tenjin has fire burning in his eyes as he picked up his package of The World and hugged it, he didn't crush it luckily since he's a strong brute.

"Now remember, you can play in The World during breaks, mornings and night time, but don't forget your studies!" Chigusa smiled. "Yes, Chigusa-sensei!" The class nodded.

As Yuusuke was walking back to his room with his package of The World in hand, he looked at it in thought. 'I don't see why this game is popular in the real world… But I'll give it a try.' "Yuusuke!" Midori ran up to her lover who is reincarnated as a modern day person who doesn't remember her.

Yuusuke sighed and asked her "What is it, Midori?" "Um, you're gonna give The World a try?" Midori sighed sweetly. "Sure, why not?" Yuusuke smiled a little. "Well, I got to install this and start playing it." Yuusuke stated as he head into his dorm.

'Maybe this is a way to help you remember me…' Midori smiled softly. Suddenly, she tensed. She could feel Reika's persense. With a frown, she turned around to see Reika glaring at her. "I think you shouldn't play The World…" Reika told her coldly.

"I'm going to play it and meet the heroes who saved this world and 3 anime worlds a long time ago! And there's not a darn thing you can do to stop me! Yuusuke and I are gonna be together! Just you wait!" Midori puffed her cheeks in anger as she head back to her dorm. Reika sighed and stated "She can be really stubborn sometimes. I got to make sure nothing bad happens to her and Yuusuke." Reika looked at the sun.

3 hours later, everyone at Kanenone created their characters and logged into The World.

Yuusuke's character consists of his real world form, only he wore silver armor, silver gaunlets with a symbol of a dragon and he wielded a spear. He chose a Long Arm. He was in Mac Anu and looked around in awe. "Yuusuke!" Yuusuke blinked as he turned around and saw Midori's character.

Midori's character looked like her real world form, only she wore a revealing orange Heavy Blade armor set and a large sword that almost resembles the Buster Sword of FF7 fame. Yuusuke blinked again and muttered "M-Midori?!"

"Yep! It's me! But in The World, I'm known as Midi. Cool name, huh?" Midori grinned. "Er…" Yuusuke looked away and blushed and muttered 'Y-Yeah, I guess…" "Hey! Midi! Yuusuke!" Yuusuke and Midori turned to see Futuba, Wakaba and Sanae walking up to them.

Futuba's character looked like her real world form, only she has sexy breasts, a yellow tube top, symbols painted on her face, black shorts and green boots and she wields claws, which means she chosen a Twin Blade class.

Wakaba's character looked like her real world form only she has symbols painted on her chest, wore a purple bikini like breastplate, an armored skirt for women and dark blue armored boots and she has a sword sheathed. She must have chosen the Blademaster class.

Finally, Sanae's character looked like her real world form, only she is a little bit taller, wore a black witch's robe with a witch's hat and violet skirt and black high heeled boots and a staff with a skull.

"Oh? You guys made it too?" Yuusuke smiled. "Yes. For now on in The World, my name is Flute. Get it memorize, Takasaki." Futuba glared. "Flute… such a nice name." Yuusuke smiled and chuckled, which made Futuba blush madly as she looked away.

"I'm Wakka in The World now. Wakka is based on a Final Fantasy character, so I picked this name." Wakaba smiled cheerfully. "I chose Sanny. Is it weird?" Sanae asked as she pressed her thumbs nervously.

"No, I think it's great. What should we do now?" Midori asked with a smile. "I say we head to a tougher sever. This server is not fit for us anyway." Futaba looked around like a snob. "Eh?" Wakaba turned to her sister in shock. "But it's full of tougher monsters. We won't survive out there!" She pleaded.

"I have to agree with her on this, but it's worth checking out the other servers." Yuusuke suggested. "Ok. Let's head to Theta Server." Midori smiled. Everyone nodded in agreement as they head to Theta server.

They looked around in Theta server. They were amazed by the sights. Suddenly, Midori overhear people talking, it was Kite, Zoey, Kagome, Ranma, and Yukinari talking to their friends about the recent event with Lios. The only ones who weren't present were Mistral, Piros, Natsume, Gardenia and Sanjuro.

"…Damn, this Lios guy almost deleted your characters and Helba, the same Helba saved you." Kirie muttered as she leaned on a rocky building. Midori gasped, she knows who those characters are! She read them in her textbooks at the 31st Century! She ran up to them. "H-Hey, Midori!" Yuusuke shouted as he and his friends walked up to Kite, Zoey and the gang.

"Hello!" Midori smiled as she waved. The gang noticed her. "Oh, hello." Miharu closed her eyes and smiled and waved back. "Who are you?" BlackRose asked Midori. It was then Yuusuke and his group came in.

"Sorry about her. She can get annoying." Yuusuke bowed his head in apology. "No, We don't think she's annoying. I'm Kite by the way." Kite smiled. TO cut this short, everyone introduced each other.

Wakaba looked at Kite and Zoey. "Say… I never seen character color types like that before. Did CC Corp updated their character creation or something?" Wakaba asked as she looked at Kite and Zoey in wonder.

"Er…" Kite and Zoey shifted nervously. "It is because their characters are illegal data which can be used for good." A voice stated calmly. All eyes turned to see Mia and Elk walking up to the gang. Ranma panicked as he saw Mia again.

"Hey! Kite! Zoey!" Elk waved. "Mia, Elk, good to see you again." Zoey smiled.

"Hold on. What do you mean illegal data?" Futuba glared at Mia. "Kite and Zoey have the abilities to hack into gates and rewrite monsters' data with the power of Data Drain." Mia smiled.

"Data Drain…?" Sanae asked confusedly. Yuusuke scoffed. "Yeah right. I bet you're making this up…" Yuusuke stated dryly. "I have to agree with Takasaki on this one." Futuba nodded. "Oh? Don't believe me, then? Then maybe this will change your minds…" Mia smiled as she grabbed both Yuusuke and Futuba by the heads. "H-Hey! What the hell is this?!" Futuba gasped before she and Yuusuke received an vision of the past.

They see Orca and Bridge being Data Drained by Skeith, Kite and Zoey acquiring the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking, the Girl in White, Aura and her being Date Drained by Skeith and Skeith's defeat.

Yuusuke and Futuba gasped in shock as they kneed down and panted. "Now what do you think?" Mia smiled eerily. "We-We believe you… Who would have thought those powers put those two's friends into a coma…" Futuba wheezed as she slowly stands up with Wakaba helping her. 50 seconds later, she recovered and bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry your friends fell into a coma. I don't know what that cat player did, but I believe you." She smiled.

"Same here." Yuusuke nodded. "If Yuusuke and Futuba believe you, then we do too." Midori stated with a smile, Wakaba and Sanae agreed as well. "Mia, thank you so much. But how did you do that?" Zoey asked her. "I'm not sure… I got this when the servers crashed for awhile. And to top it all, I have been feeling funny… Excuse me." Mia bowed politely as she left.

"Hope we go adventuring sometime." Elk waved as he followed Mia. "Just who is that cat player?" Akane muttered. "Yeah, she's full of mysteries…" Tomoka nodded in agreement.

"…Wanna go to a area with us?" Kite smiled softly.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Aroma Grass


	24. Aroma Grass Part 1

A/N: Alright, prepare for a concert one shot at the beginning of this chapter with Zoey, BlackRose, Mistral, Mia, Kan'u AKA Aisha, Chohi AKA Rinrin, and Natsume! Here we go! Dot Hack Mew Mew First Concert! Go!

We see a well built music stage and we see a giant television and a huge crowd of players male and female cheering. Then the TV turned on to see two familiar shadows back to back. They were Zoey and BlackRose; they held their mikes to their mouths and began to sing Silly Go Round.

Zoey: Yume kara samete mo…

BlackRose: Kono te wo nobasu yo…

Zoey and BlackRose were revealed as they calmly and cheerfully walked towards the end of the stage followed by Mistral who has her own mike.

Zoey: Onaji tsuyosa de yobi au…

BlackRose: Kokoro ni nareru no naraba…

Mistral: Nanninbun no kizu demo…

All: Boku wa uketomerareru yo…

Then an new singer came on the stage, it was Kan'u aka Aisha who has her own mike and she joined in the singing.

Kan'u: Mou sukoshi datte ki ga surunda

Zoey: Kono kabe ga kuzureru

All: Reimei…!

Then another singer appeared, it was Kan'u's sworn sister, Chohi AKA Rinrin who joined in the singing

All: Yume kara samete mo mada minai yume no hou made!

Chohi: Bokura wa hitori de hashiri tsudukeru shika nainda!

Kanu': Korogari mayotte tsukuridasu boku no inryoku ga!

Zoey: Itsuka…

All: Kimi e…!

The singers began to dance with the lights shining on Mia who is coming down on the stairs with her mike and began to sing her lyrics of the song, while the Big Screen shows the heroines battles of Arc 1 and Arc 2 including two of the 8 Phases in shadows.

Mai: Sabishi sa ni nagasaretari…

Uso wo uso de kakushitari…

Nandomo machigaeta no ni…

Mata "Saigo no koi" wo shite!

Mia then motioned to Natsume who was at first, nervously, but she gotten brave and began to sing her own lyrics while the rest of heroines danced.

Natsume: Miakita hazu no tasogare ga

Konna ni kirei dato naita…

Then all heroines began to sing the next lyrics together.

All: GOORU no tsumori de

RISETTO BOTAN ni tobikonde!

Bokura wa guruguru onaji basho wo mawatterunda

Ikioi makase de itsuka wa kinou no inryoku wo!

Koeru…

Kimi to…!

Zoey: Boku wa kimi ni deau…

They stopped and looked at the audience with smiles.

Zoey: Are you ready for the finale?! (The crowd cheered)

BlackRose: This is it! No going back!

Kan'u: Rinrin, are you ready?!

Chohi: I'm ready, Aisha!

Mia: Ready, little Natsume?

Natsume: I'll do my best!

Mistral: It's time for the big finale of this song!

Then all heroines sing the final lyrics.

All: Yume kara samete mo!

Bokura wa yume wo noritsui de

Mada minu dareka ni korizu ni!

Kono te wo nobasunda…

Tari nai kokoro to karada ga ai wo sagasu inryoku ga

Todoku…

Kimi ni!

The music played for a little bit as the heroines danced gracefully and when the music stopped, the heroines turned to the audience and bowed. The crowd roared with cheers!

Chapter 24: Aroma Grass: Part 1

The parties including Yuusuke and his female friends appeared in Theta Surprising Lookout Paradise, an level 25 area. It was an aqua field and it is a snowy place. "Alright, stick to us and you'll level up in no time." Kirie smiled as she sees monsters approaching.

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Futuba shouted as they carefully stayed behind the parties as they took care of the monsters, earning Yuusuke and his friends EXP, huge amounts of it when they are level 1, leveling them up to 15.

"Whew! That was close!" Midori sighed in relief. "Oh, the real fun is about to start once we head into the dungeon." Tomoka grinned. Yuusuke gulped as the parties head into the dungeon.

As the parties were walking down a path in the dungeon, Kite brought up something.

"So, Flute…" Kite softly smiled, Futuba nearly dropped her blades in shock, growling, she turned to Kite and snapped "What?! It's very rude even in The World! So what the hell is it?!"

"I was wondering… Why did you and your friends start playing this game?" Kite smiled, soon, everyone else joined in the conversation.

"Starting playing?" Futuba blinked for a second before she pressed her thumbs nervously. "I-It's not that I played for fun, I'm just doing it as a school program in a school me, my sister and my female friends are staying. Kanenone Academy…" She muttered dryly.

"I heard of that boarding school…" Kite frowned. "I heard the boys who stay at that school are really perverted and girl crazy." BlackRose overhear the conversation about Kanenone Academy and added in the conversation with "Yeah, I also heard of that school. Glad I'm living in good ole Shibuya in Japan." BlackRose nodded.

"Yeah… The boys there are really perverted idiots… Men like them have no shame in going in a woman's panties. Especially, those three idiotic perverts, the Baka Trio!" Futuba tighten her fist angrily.

Fukuyama wrapped his arm around Futuba and smiled pervertedly at her and stated "And I am an exception, cutie?" Futuba has an anger vein on her forehead as she socked Fukuyama in the face, knocking him out. "Ouch…" Ranma winced. "Flute reminds Yu Jie of Akane and how Akane treats poor Ranma like dirt…" Shampoo shook her head in respect for her would be lover. "I'm not that cruel to Ran-chan!" Akane fumed, glaring at Shampoo who glared back.

"Ok, knock it off you two." Ukyo sighed. "Yeah, if we keep attacking and insulting each other, we'll never get the dungeon done and over with!" Ryouga added with a frustrated growl.

"But… Not all men and boys are perverted like you think. Tell me, how are you born?" Kite smiled. Futuba blushed. "Wha-What kind of stupid question is that?" Futuba stuttered. "You have a mom and dad before you went to an all girls boarding school?" Yuusuke added with a soft smile. Midori couldn't help but smile softly.

"Y-Yeah… My dad is the only one who I respect. He loved my mom so much and they both take good care of me and Wakka." Futuba looked down in embarrassment. "Like I said, not all boys and men are perverted as you think. Some are trying to win your heart, as for the boys of Kananone Academy… I don't know since they're nothing but girl hungry freaks." Kite laughed, everyone except Fukuyama laughed at Kite's joke, especially Futuba.

"Hehehe…" Futuba giggled. "Well, you're nice for example and always kind when I first met you. You remind me of someone. Someone who I only respect at that all boys boarding school…" Futuba smiled softly. "Who?" Both Kite and Yuusuke asked at the same time.

Futuba giggled again and stated "It's a S.E.C.R.E.T!" She waved her pinky playfully at the two and walked off, following the rest of Kite and Zoey's friends. "Wow." Wakaba commented as she walked towards Kite, Yuusuke and Zoey. "Usually, Flute hates men and boys due to the boys at Kanenone Academy. I don't know what you just said, Kite, but I think Flute is starting to respect men and boys who are not perverted and girl crazy." Wakaba smiled. Kite chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. Zoey giggled.

Soon, the parties made it to the Gott statue. Yuusuke walked towards the chest and opened it. He got an new spear and some treasure. He and his friends managed to level up to 25 due to them being close to Kite, Zoey and their friends.

"Takasaki, what did you get?" Futuba asked him. "A new spear, it's a level 10 one too. I'm gonna equip it now." Yuusuke smiled as he equipped his new spear. "The World is fun. If only we met Kite and Zoey's friends, Orca and Bridge, then we would have lots of fun." Sanae smiled. "Yeah, but because of Skeith, they're in a coma…" Inuyasha frowned. "That is why we must find a way to wake them from their comas and get back to our timeline." Miroku stated.

"You mentioned the Feudal Era before. So are these guys with us, especially the one with the funny looking dog ears…?" Yuusuke asked, it took Sango, Miroku, Ranma and Kirie everything they got to prevent Inuyasha from strangling Yuusuke, but luckily Kagome shouted "Sit!" And Inuyasha once again kissed his friend, the ground. He moaned in pain.

"Nice moves… Wonder if I can do that on those Baka Trio." Futuba commented. "They're from the Feudal Era and their real world bodies somehow entered The World." BlackRose stated. "Oh my gosh! That's sounds both good and scary at the same time!" Midori gasped as she covered her mouth in shock.

"And that is why we're gonna find a way to send them back to the Feudal Era in the real world. Come on, let's head back to Root Town." Mousse stated. Everyone including Fukuyama who has just recovered nodded as they used Sprite Ocarinas to leave the dungeon. Unknown to them, a player was watching them. It was Reika, her character looks like her real world self only her mouth was masked and she wore dark clothes with a symbol on the back and a dark colored sword sheathed near her thigh. She remained silent as she used a Sprite Ocarina as well to leave.

Back in Root Town, Kite, Zoey and the gang were hanging out at the Grunty Farm. Sanae smiled as she gave her own Grunty some Grunty Food. The Baby Grunty squealed happily and stated "Thank you!" Sane closed her eyes and smiled.

"Looks like we're having fun in The World…" Yuusuke smiled softly. "Hey Yuusuke?" Midori smiled as she walked up to him playfully. "Will this game help you remember me?" She asked with a hint of seductiness. Yuusuke clinched. Kite, Zoey and their friends looked at the would be couple in confusion. "What's up with Yuusuke? Why is he afraid of Midi?" BlackRose asked Wakaba, before Wakaba can answer, the Baka Trio showed up.

Bacchi-Gu's character looked like his real world self, he has ditched the glasses and is wearing some sort of almost revealing armor and wields an axe that is almost shaped like a scythe. Ichiban-Boshi's character is like his real world self, he wore an silver robe and has symbol tattoos on his face and his hair is tied up in a pony tail for men and he has a katana.

Tenjin's character is like his real world self, only he wore clothes simalier to Orca and another certain player of The World, he has red paint on his face and his clothes were yellow and he has a sword sheathed. And by the looks of it, the Baka Trio are not so happy.

"There you are, Yuusuke! How dare you go off to another server with those fine ladies by yourself!" Bacchi-Gu pointed his finger accusingly at Yuusuke. "Were you trying to make Futaba yours behind my back?! Huh?!" Ichiban-Boshi also pointed his finger at Yuusuke acussingly. "Sanae-chan is my little sister! And only I can be her big brother!" Tejin growled as he did the same as his friends.

"Sanny, is he your big brother as he claims he is?" Yukinari asked confusedly. "Um, YuYu… I don't think he's Sanny's big brother…" Kirie sweat dropped. "Oh… Then he has a sister fetish?" Yukinari guessed. "Almost like a certain someone we know." Lisa glared at her brother. "Hey!" Fukuyama growled, an anger vein on his forehead.

"Yuusuke, these are the guys who caused you and the girls so much trouble?" Kite frowned. "Yeah… They're known as the Baka Trio. Bacchi-Gu is the leader, Ichiban-Boshi is a self proclaimed ladies' man and Tenjin is a stupid giant who has a little sister fetish…" Yuusuke frowned.

"So, they're the perverts I heard from Flute and the others." BlackRose frowned, as she puts her arms on her sides. Kite stepped forward, the Baka Trio glared at him. "Listen, I heard a lot about you from Yuusuke. The way you caused him and the girls so much problems at Kanenone Academy. So right now, they're hanging with us. So leave us the hell alone." Kite stated bravery.

"And who the hell are you, kid? Some sort of player trying to score with the chicks in your harem over there?! I won't forgive both you and Yuusuke for this! Tenjin! Get him!" Bacchi-Gu ordered. Tenhin yelled as he used his sword to try to slash Kite, but Kite did a backflip and used his claws to slash Tenjin three times.

Tenjin groaned as he fell down on his face and muttered "Damn little brat…" "You won't make Futuba yours! Aiyeeeyaaaa!" Ichiban-Boshi was about to hit Kite, but Futaba quickly stepped in and punched him in the face, knocking him into the sky, he screamed as he disappeared in a twinkle of a star.

"You little piece of shit! I'm gonna to destroy you!" Bacchi-Gu growled as he was about to swipe Kite, but Kite kneed him, in the crotch. Bacchi-Gu screamed as he held his jewels and kneed down in pain. Back in the real world, Bacchi-Gu was also holding his jewels, he must have felt the pain in The World.

"Man, what a bunch of creeps. Let's log out and hope they don't bother us again." BlackRose sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement as they logged out, leaving the Baka Trio in their predicament in Theta Server.

3 days has passed.

Zoey was at home after she has finished work and checked her computer. She got 6 new emails. The first one is from Yuusuke. The subject said "Hey…" and it read:

**"I have fun yesterday. I still don't get the Data Drain and Gate Hacking thing. But I believe both you and Kite. I hope we work together on this quest to save your friend."**

Zoey replied with "Of course. Thank you for adding us to your friends' list." She sent the reply. The second email is from Midori and the subject said "Yuusuke and I are going to be together forever!" and it read:

**"Yuusuke and I are destined to get married! I won't let anyone get in my way of changing our fate! PS: Don't tell Reika!"**

'Reika?' Zoey thought as she replied with "Who's Reika?" She sent the reply.

The second email is from Wakaba and the subject said "About me and Flute" and it read:

**"I have a cactus named Togemura and he's really nice! I have a sexy body and Flute's real world self is flat as an iron board. Don't tell her I said that, please. (Smiley)"**

Zoey sweat dropped as she replied with "Um, sure. It's nice to meet you and your sister, Wakka." Zoey sent the reply.

The next email is from Futuba and the subject said "I believe both of you" and it read:

**"I don't know what that cat player did, but I believe you two. Call me if you need any help!"**

Zoey smiled as she replied with "Thank you. I hope we get along well." Zoey sent the reply. The next email is from Sanae and the subject said "About me…' and it read:

**"I was born really weak… I came to Kanenone Academy to get some fresh air which is good for my health. I don't know how much of help I can be, but I'll do my best… (Smiley)**

"Wow…' Zoey thought to herself sadly as she replied with "I hope you get better soon. Modern medicine is improving every year so I'm sure you'll get better soon." She sent the reply. The next and final email is from…

'Lios…' Zoey thought to herself as she read Lios' email called 'Conclusion' and it read:

**"We will approve both your actions under one condition. You will follow my orders from now on. Server 1: Delta, Server 2: Theta, Server 3: Lambda, Server 4: Sigma, and Server 5: Omega.**

**The World is consist of five servers. Each server has a Root Town, and the areas that can be warped to is different. These can be distinguished by the first letter of the Keyword.**

**For example, to go to the area Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field, you must use the Chaos Gate in the Root Town of Delta Server. Even if you do know the keywords other than Delta, if you cannot go to that server, you cannot warp to that Area, even if the keyword is registered. Server restrictions on all users have been lifted. You can now go to Lambda server.**

**Select Other Servers at the Chaos Gate to go to Delta, Theta and Lambda Servers. Go to Lambda Server and obtain information from players in Root Town. I will be investigating as a Shop NPC. When you and the player called Kite have gathered information, talk to me. That is all…"**

'Lios still doesn't trust us… I better be careful." Zoey thought as she placed her Neuro Goggles on and logged into The World.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Aroma Grass: Part 2

A/n: So how do you like that First Concert? Pretty sweet, huh? Next up, Kite, Zoey, Mia and Elk search for Aroma Grass in a Protected Area. Can they find it? Find out next time!


	25. Aroma Grass Part 2

Chapter 25: Aroma Grass: Part 2

Zoey was in Theta Server. She walked up to the Chaos Gate and selected Lambda Server and she is off to the Cultural City, Carmina Gadelca.

She appeared in a really nice city with the night sky shining down on the city, airship like vehicles flying around and the beautiful water below the surface. Zoey looked around in awe. "Hey! Zoey!" Zoey can hear Kite's voice as he walked up to her. "This is your first time here?" Kite smiled.

"Yeah? You too?" Zoey asked him with a cute smile. "Yeah. This is my first time in Lambda Server. Right now, let's go find Lios as an NPC." Kite stated. "Ugh… I can't believe we're following his orders in order to play this game to save our friends…" Zoey groaned.

"Maybe… Lios needs time to trust us." Kite looked down, a little bit sadly. The two decided to check out the Weapons NPC. When they talked to him…

"You're late…" Lios' voice grumbled. "A-Are you?!" Zoey gawked. "Yes. It is Lios. I will give you two your instructions now. For now, investigate the rate of infection in Lambda Server. Surveys of Protected Areas are top priority…" Lios stated.

"Protected Areas…?" Kite raised an eyebrow. "Areas that are officially 'under-going maintenance.' We have not yet found out what they are. However, we already know your illegal powers can break that protection. And that you two need this for Gate Hacking." Lios stated as he gave both Kite and Zoey virus cores. Kite and Zoey gasped in alarm as Lios somehow have acquired virus cores.

"This is nothing to be surprised about. This is the result of… a successful abstraction of the virus incubating in the monster's data. The data codes for the Protected Area were on the Board." Lios stated coldly.

Kite and Zoey looked at each other in concern as they logged out. Lios watched them logged out. 'I better keep an close eye on them… If they are with the virus, I will do whatever I can to delete their characters and stop the infection… But that Inuyasha fellow and his strange friends… They are not in our databanks of The World. Just what the hell is going on…? I will send Balmung to keep an close eye on Kite, Zoey and their friends.' Lios thought to himself.

Before Zoey can check the Board, she got an email. 'Huh? Who can that be?' Zoey thought as she went to her email box and found two emails. One from Gardenia. 'What does Gardenia want?' Zoey thought to herself as she opened the email. It has no subject but it read:

**"Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage."**

"An Area? I'll go see it later." Zoey said as she replied with "I'll go with you and Kite to that area later, right now, I have bigger problems to worry about." She sent the reply. Zoey read Helba's email next and Helba is telling about new virus cores in Lambda Server.

'Helba… What are you trying to gain from helping us?' Zoey thought as she went back to the Board in The World. She found what she was looking for. But what shocked her about the topic is… it's about Aura! The topic its author named Black Knight read:

**"I saw a transparent girl too at: Lambda Dolorous Evil-eyed Widow. I came up to her, then she shook her head and disappear."**

'Aura…' Zoey thought as she read the next topic by marin. She wrote:

**"Black Knight, you lie! That area's protected. I couldn't go!"**

Quataro wrote:

**"I couldn't go either. I like the theory that Protected Area opened if you fulfill an requirement… like a hidden event. Maybe I should put up a thread about it…"**

'They don't get it…' Zoey frowned as she logged into The World.

When Zoey logged in, she sees Kite, Elk and Mia waiting for her. "Hey! Zoey!" Elk waved. "Hey Elk. What's up?" Zoey smiled as she walked up to them. Mia noticed her and smiled and said something in broken English. Kite and Zoey raised eyebrows.

"Mia… Are you ok?" Zoey asked in concern. "Ever since that Noise incident, Mia's input system is acting up." Elk stated. Mia then said something about where Kite and Zoey are going. "We're… heading to a Protected Area." Kite smiled a little bit sadly.

"The one that was on the Board? Lambda Dolorous Evil-eyed Widow?" Elk asked. "That's the one." Zoey nodded. "We're heading there too." Kite added with a nod.

Mia then said something about bringing her and Elk along too. "Mia, I'll say it." Elk laughed as he cleared his throat and state "Invite us when you two are going to Lambda Dolorous Evil-eyed Widow. Mia already taught you two how to Gate Hack, so it won't be a problem. We might find Aromatic Grass. Mia's intuition is usually right." Elk closed his eyes and smiled.

Kite and Zoey added Mia and Elk to their parties and Kite and Zoey selected Lambda Dolorous Evil-eyed Widow and activated their Gate Hacking menus and they inserted the Virus Cores Lios gave them and they went to Lambda Dolorous Evil-eyed Widow.

It was a snowy field and the parties entered the dungeon.

As they were walking down a corridor, Kite and Zoey feel like they need to tell Mia and Elk something…

Kite and Zoey stopped. Mia and Elk noticed this. "What's up you two?" Elk asked in concern. "You see… We're looking for someone in this area…" Kite began. Mia asked who? "The Girl in White, Aura…" Zoey stated.

"Aura? Who's that? An event character?" Elk asked in confusion. "Aura's the reason she gave us our bracelets. We thought she was destroyed by-" "Skayith…" Mia began. Kite, Zoey and Elk looked at her in confusion. "You know Skeith?!" Kite's eyes widen in shock. Mia said something like she can't remember, but she does know Skeith's name.

"Oh…" Zoey lowered her head in sadness, but lifted it back up and said "We're trying to find her so we can ask her questions about why Orca and Bridge fell into a coma. The Board said she was spotted here." Zoey stated.

"That's good. We can both look for Aromatic Grass and Aura at the same time." Elk smiled. "Um… Yeah." Kite nodded as they pressed forward. 

They eventually reached the end of the dungeon. When they there, they see a monster infected by the Data Bug.

"Let's get it! Crack Beat!" Zoey shouted as she charged at the Data Bug and slashed it three times. "Twin Dragon!" Kite was next as he slashed it 10 times.

Mia yelled out a broken battle cry as she charged in, dodging spells thrown at her by the Data Bug and managed to get in a quick few slashes.

The Data Bug then warped in front of Elk. Elk gasped in shock as the Data Bug knocked him into a wall. "Ow…" Elk grumbled as he got up and casted La Repth on himself.

"Elk! Hang on! Ap Dok!" Zoey used an spell to increase her speed. She charged at Elk and picked him up before the Data Bug can finish him off. "Twin Dragon!" Kite shouted as he spins like a tornado and slashed the Data Bug three times with his blades.

The Data Bug hurled stones and rocks at the parties, but they dodged them. Mia charged in and slashed the Data Bug three times. The words Protect Break appeared, meaning it is time to Data Drain this Data Bug.

Zoey smiled as she activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired and reverted the Data Bug to a normal Mu Guardian. Mia smirked as she leaped up and brought her blade down on the Mu Guardian, slicing it in half, ending the battle. Zoey got an new virus core from the Data Bug she defeated.

Elk walked up a bit towards strange colored grass and picked them up. It must be the Aromatic Grass Mia and Elk were talking about. "Here you go, Mia." Elk smiled as he gave Mia the Aromatic Grass.

"Wow! Thanks!" Mia squealed as she looked at the Aromatic Grass in awe and gratitude. "We were wondering… How do you use that?" Kite asked Elk. "There's no use for it. We just collect it." Elk closed his eyes and smiled. Kite and Zoey were surprised.

"You two think it's futile? Ah, but futility is a necessity. A system without futilities is very vulnerable. The key in opening a new gate is futility. Just because there's no use for it, is it futile? Sometimes, the existence itself is enough." Mia smirked. "Mia! You're back to normal!" Zoey gasped but smiled.

"I guess it got fixed." Mia chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Congratulations! Though, that was amusing in itself! (Smiley)" Elk laughed. "Oh shut up, Elk!" Mia grumbled as she turned away in embarrassment. The friends laughed at this.

They warped back to Root Town. Elk turned to Kite and Zoey with a smile and said "We got Aromatic Grass and Mia got fixed, so everything is perfect!" Mia said something like that's true. Kite, Zoey and Elk looked at Mia in shock. Mia cursed something like damn it and Elk and Mia used the Chaos Gate to go to a server.

Kite and Zoey were silent. "We didn't find Aura…" Zoey stated sadly. "I guess we'll start again…" Kite sighed. Kite and Zoey decided to log out for the day.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Trading Game

A/N: Next up is that greedy Blademaster, Rachel! So stay tuned!


	26. The Trading Game

Chapter 26: The Trading Game

Zoey was checking the Board. Apparently, Midori sent her an email about some sort of trading convention by someone named Rachel. She found the thread called "Trading Convention" and the topic's name is "For those who want an item" and it read:

**"Hey! We'll have an trading convention on the B1 floor of Lambda Collapsed Pagan Remains dungeon. People who can't find the items they're looking for or have problems trading, now's your chance! Instead of looking for it alone, let's just trade!"**

"Hmm…" Zoey scratched her chin in thought. 'This trading convention sounds interesting. I'll email everyone about it so we can check it out." Zoey sent emails to her friends about the trading convention, including Sanjuro and Natsume. But minus Piros, Mia and Elk.

When she logged in, she sees everyone here. "I heard from Zoey about a trading convention. I dunno about this…" Sanjuro sighed. "Maybe we can get powerful equipment from this trading convention hosted by this Rachel character." Futuba guessed. Sanjuro looked at Futuba.

"And who might you be?" He asked politely. "I'm Flute. I met Kite and Zoey awhile back. I heard about their quest to save Orca and Bridge so me and my friends decided to help out." Futuba introduced herself. "Wait a damn minute! Orca… As in Orca of the Azure Sea?!" Sanjuro gasped. "You know my friend, Sanjuro?" Kite gasped.

"Who hasn't heard of Orca of the Azure Sea?! He's famous in The World for clearing the One Sin event, but he didn't do it alone. He has Balmung as his partner and together, they're known as the Descendants of Fianna." Sanjuro beamed. (A/N: Sorry if Sanjuro acts sorta out of character, but al least I tired. "Sweat Drop")

"Oh great… Sir Jerkalot is famous alright, famous my ass!" Ryouga growled, Mousse nodded in agreement with a frown. "Eh, you have a run in with Balmung too?" Natsume asked her friends.

"Y-Yeah… He doesn't like the way we used our Data Draining powers…" Zoey looked down in sadness. "You said you're using those powers to help people, so we trust you. Maybe Balmung needs time to think you're using these powers for good." Sanjuro encouraged. "Y-You're right. Sorry about that." Kite smiled softly.

"So, we heading to Lambda Collapsed Pagan Remains?" BlackRose asked as she adjusted her sword on her back. "You know it!" Kagome grinned. She invited Inuyasha and his friends from the Feudal Era to come to Lambda Server since it's more lively than Theta Server. "So let's go then! I want to see if they got good stuff!" Shippo beamed. Everyone nodded in agreement as they selected Lambda Collapsed Pagan Remains.

Inside the dungeon, they see a 19 year old woman who has blue eyes and light brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She wears yellow clothing that only covers her limbs, as well a brown band across her chest and brown tights on her lower body. Her wave symbol can be found on her clothing.

"ANNE has a Basin Shield and wants a Paper Cloak." The woman turned to the Twin Blade named ANNE. The woman then turned to a Heavy Axeman. "Bate has a Plastic Sword and wants a Mad Opener."

The woman Blademaster turned to the Long Arm and stated "Catherine has a Mad Opener and wants a Basin Shield." Next, the female Blademaster turned to a Wavemaster and stated "Dick has a Paper Cloak and wants a Love Archery." The woman then smiled and stated "Which means… Give ANNE's Basin Shield to Catherine, and… Give Catherine's Mad Opener to Bate. Take Bate's Plastic Sword…" A record scratch out of nowhere as the female Blademaster sweat drops as she realized something.

"Oh no! No one wants the Plastic Sword!" She muttered in shock. "So what now?!" ANNE growled. "Don't ya have any extras?" Bate demanded. "What a waste of time! This dirty cheap bitch just gathered us for no God damn reason!" Catherine growled, an anger vein on her forehead.

"This is all I get?! You gotta be kidding!" Dick frowned in disapproval. The female Blademaster noticed Kite, Zoey and the gang and turned around to face them. "If anyone ain't satisfied, you can't consider yourself 'pro'." The female Blademaster has an idea.

"Could you find a Love Archery somewhere in this dungeon? I'm Rachel by the way." Rachel smiled. "Hold on! Since when are we your delivery people?! You should get it yourself!" BlackRose snapped, an anger vein on her forehead.

"We'll do it!" Mistral volunteered. "WHAT?!" The parties of Kite and Zoey gawked as they turned to face Mistral. "You got to be kidding me! We're not helping this con artist!" Sango growled.

"But if we don't, those people who came here to trade will be sad…" Miharu pleaded as she looked at her friends with cute eyes. "I have to agree with Mistral and MiMi on this one. Let's help Rachel." Kite smiled meekly.

"You're too nice, Kite and Zoey…" BlackRose has a bored look on her face. "Way too nice…" Ranma added with a sigh. The parties head deeper into the dungeon.

As they were about to head into the next floor, Inuyasha's eyes perked up. "Inuyasha, what's up?" Kagome asked in concern. "…Show yourself!" Inuyasha draws his Tetsusaiga and pointed it at a Twin Blade.

He is about maybe 22 years old. Has light blue hair and an orange-red headband covering his eyes. Behind the hair covering his face, and under his headband, there is a purple tattoo stretching diagonally across his face. He wears red shoulder pads, but no shirt. He has black pants with the knees cut open. He wears sandals on both feet, but his right foot is completely tattooed purple.

"Who are you?" Yukinari gulped. The Twin Blade said nothing as he Gate Out. "That's it? He just ran away?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he sheathed his Tetsusaiga. "I dunno…" Miroku scratched his chin. "It doesn't look like he's itching to fight… More like trying to test us."

"But it was strange, appearing out of nowhere like that. He's like an ninja." Sango added, Kirara mewed in agreement. "Well anyway, let's not waste any time and worry about that Twin Blade later." Zoey suggested, everyone nodded in agreement. Almost everyone head for the second floor, but Lisa and her bodyguards.

"That man was interesting, Liz…" Hayate commented as he pushed his glasses up. "Yes, he was. Like some sort of assassin." Kosame added. "He might be an ally of some sorts. But I'm not sure yet. Let's catch up with the others." Lisa stated, her bodyguards nodded as they got back to the parties.

Eventually, the parties found the Love Archery on the Gott statue room. They head back to Rachel's room.

"Alright! You got the Love Archery! I knew there's something special about you guys! Alright, now give the Love Archery to whoever needs it and give the traded item to the next person until you're done!" Rachel smiled. "Great… Now we're negotiators…" Kirie frowned as she kicked the floor.

"Ah, but it'll be fun, Kirie!" Wakaba stated cheerfully. "Yeah! Let's trade till everyone's satisfied!" Mistral cheered. It took them awhile, but the parties gave the desired items to the four traders and they left, pretty much happy with their items they got.

"You guys are really good! Hey, how about we exchange member addresses so we can keep in touch. And all of you will be my partners in becoming the richest parties in The World! And I won't take no for an answer!" Rachel grinned.

The parties sighed, they have no choice but to exchange addresses with Rachel. "Thanks a bunch, everyone! Let's get together sometime so we can rake in the moola!" Rachel grinned again as she logged out.

"God damn it… Now we got a greedy Blademaster in our parties." BlackRose sighed in frustration. "But we did help her, that's all it matters." Kite laughed. Zoey laughed also. BlackRose sighed in annoyance.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Wolf and the Flowery of Bravery

A/N: Next up, our heroes will meet Koga, his pack and the main heroines of the Koihime Musou anime and they will join our heroes in their quest during Gardenia's quest, so stay tuned!


	27. The Wolf and the Flower of Bravery

**A/N: Should I add more Koihime Musou anime characters to this story? If so, please tell me on reviews, please! Anyway, here's Chapter 27!**

**Chapter 27: The Wolf and the Flowery of Bravery**

**_Somewhere, in an area that Gardenia requested Kite and Zoey to go to…_**

It seemed that a heavy battle was currently taking place. "Take this!" Koga, the wolf demon (and apparent rival of Inuyasha), slammed his foot down on an Armor Evil, causing it to vanish within the confoundary realms of the data input. He panted heavily as he wiped some sweat from his forehead, feeling as triumphant as the leader of the pack. His brothers, Ginta and Hakkaku, soon walked up to him, clapping with delight.

"Nice work, Koga. You sure showed that weird demon!" Ginta grinned.

The other half of this bizarre lineage looked around. "But where are we? First, this place doesn't look like Edo; Second, when we first arrived here, we stopped feeling hungry and thirsty all of a sudden; finally, those demons appeared when we got near those strange, glowing things." Hakkaku stated, as he looked at The World in all its strangeness and beauty. I think, however, that the biggest question they _should've _asked is how were they walking on lava without being burned or killed by the magma?!

The wolf-man sneered. "Hell if I know. That's why we're searching for answers in this godforsaken place." Koga shrugged.

"Do you think Naraku sent us here?" Ginta frowned.

"I doubt it. That rainbow colored portal wasn't his work. If it were, I would have smelled his scent. But that's enough, you two! Let's head into that underground area." Koga stated, his brothers nodding as the pack entered the dungeon.

**_Meanwhile… in the anime world of Koihime Musou…_**

Kan'u Unchou (Aisha) and her group were walking down a forested path in Jing Province. Her group consisted of Chohi Yokutoku (Rinrin), Ryubi Gentoku (Toka), Cho'un Shiryu (Sei), Bacho Moki (Sui), Shokatsuryo Komei (Shuri), Kochu Kansho (Shino), and her daughter Rin.

The group already knew that, wherever they were, this was a bad idea. "Um…" Bacho looked around nervously, "S-Shouldn't we take a different path? I heard rumors about this forest…"

Chohi turned to her friend in curiosity. "What is that, Sui?"

The young warrior gulped, as she swore that a spider the size of Mt. Dingjun leapt before her very eyes."T-This is the Forest of No Return. Rumor has it if someone goes into this forest, they m-may be transported to another world and n-never be seen again! We should turn back now!" Bacho panicked.

The young, blue-haired lass next to her simply flew a hand through her hair. "They say curiosity killed the cat. I don't see anything strange within this forest." Cho'un stated calmly as she positioned her staff.

"Uh…" Ryubi looked around in curiosity and a bit afraid. "I don't think these rumors are false. What if people _did_ disappear in this forest, and are sucked into another world with no way back?!" Give her time folks; she needs to repeat words in order to get their full meaning.

The blue-haired girl sighed, and decided to bring up another subject out of the, er, I can't use the joke. "Tell me, everyone. Have you ever heard of the Heavenly World?" Cho'un stated calmly.

The motherly figure lagging behind the group gave a chuckle. "Yes, I have heard of the Heavenly World. It is a realm stated to be where Messengers from the stars are hailed from. The Messengers from the stars are said to bring peace to the land." Kochu stated as she smiled to her daughter, who giggled playfully.

Their leader, Kan'u, realized that the party would fall apart if too many questions were asked. "This is the only way to the next town. So we shouldn't let a silly rumor like this scare us." Apparently, we are to forget about that whole "Heavenly World" question, hm?

"Yeah, because you're the Black Haired Bandit Killer." Bacho muttered, patting her chest.

A blush became evident on the girl in question. "S-Shut it, Sui!" Kan'u had an anger vein on her forehead.

Suddenly, Cho'un felt an odd wind blowing in the group's direction. She tensed her body, preparing for what might have been an all-out attack. The little girl to the right of her looked confused. "What's wrong, Sei?" Chohi asked in concern.

"Don't you feel it? The ill-fated wind blowing in our direction…" Cho'un has a serious look on her face.

Kan'u was also serious. "I feel it too… I don't know what it is, but we must be on guard!" She advised as she, along with her group, got ready. Above them, as though a horrific demon began its descent towards the Earth, there was a whizzing sound. Confused, everyone looked up to see a rainbow colored portal, like the one that transported everyone from the Feudal Era into The World, and like the one Skeith appeared out of. The rainbow portal began sucking up our lofty group!

"See?! What did I tell you?! Those who go into this forest never came baccccccckkkkkkk!" Bacho screamed as the group was sucked into the portal. Oh, delicious foreshadowing finally paying off…

**In "The World"…**

Gardenia tapped her foot rather patiently; she was waiting for Kite, Zoey, and the rest of the gang near the Chaos Gate in Lambda Server's Root Town. She got an email from the Mew saying she and the boy got time to come to Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage (yes, _cabbage_). Soon, her wait would conclude, as the entire party quickly logged in at Lambda Root Town.

The woman was more-or-less angry. "You're late…" Gardenia stated coldly as she frowned.

"This is Gardenia? Man, she's cold." Futuba whispered in awe.

The girl next to her stomped on the other's foot. "Shut up, or she'll hear you saying that!" Kirie whispered with a scold. Futuba nodded nervously.

Hoping to get things on the road, Kite began his "leader" role. "So, we're heading to Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage?" he asked the perplexing woman.

Gardenia nodded and stated, "Yes. There is something I want to find."

Behind the woman was a strange perplexity of man, known only as Fukuyama. "What is it, oh lovely Gardenia?" the oddball tried to hit on the woman, but she chose to step on his foot, making the pervert wince in pain.

"I will tell you when we get to the bottom of the dungeon. Now, let's go." Gardenia stated. The parties looked at each other in concern. What makes this strange woman want to go to the bottom of the dungeon of Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage so badly? They knew that to find out, they have to go with her, but would it be really wise to find out? Still, there was little choice in the end, huh? Before they warped to Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage, however…

"Hey guys!" Rachel logged in and greeted everyone, as they did likewise. "I heard Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage has some rare treasure, and I figure this is a perfect chance to go there, get them, and sell them for profit! Can I come with you guys?" she asked sweetly.

There was some hesitation from the group. "…If you insist, but don't expect us to bail you out when there are strong monsters in that area." Gardenia told Rachel coldly.

The treasure hunter was taken aback. "Touchy…" Rachel sweat dropped and smiled nervously.

Seeing all of this pointless drama made the other girl of Dot Hack slightly vexed. "Can we please just go to Lambda Quiet Obvious Cabbage?" BlackRose asked. Everyone nodded, and after adding Rachel to their parties, they warped to the area.

…

When they got there, they heard fighting, making Gardenia tense throughout. "…Hear that?" She asked her friends. The parties listened closely. Whatever was going on, the battle didn't seem to be going well for one of the parties.

"We have to help whoever is fighting the monsters!" Zoey shouted, being hyped for the battle ahead.

The mystery woman chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I agree, Zoey. The dungeon will have to wait." Gardenia nodded as they went towards the source; strangely, though, Inuyasha remained for a while. He sniffed the air, wondering what this foreign scent could originate from. He frowned, remembering a certain scent of someone he doesn't like… someone who was trying to win Kagome's heart. With anger evident in his eyes, he followed his friends to the source.

When they got there, they saw Kan'u and her friends fighting Green Wyrms. "We got to help them!" Miharu gasped as she cast an ice spell on the first Green Wyrm, giving it some damage.

Our mysterious woman friend happened to be a detective. "These monsters are weak to Earth attacks, so using Earth skills shall do the trick." Gardenia stated. Super.

"B-But we don't have any fricking Earth Skills!" Rachel stammered as the three Green Wyrms lunged at the parties. Kochu fired arrows at the second Green Wyrm, giving it some damage. Gardenia gasped; she recognized that arrow shot. 'That arrow shot… and that woman firing the arrows… No, it can't be!' Gardenia leaped into the air with her new spear and shouted "Double Sweep!" She gave the first Green Wyrm big damage two times.

"Gan Smash!"

"Twin Dragon!"

BlackRose had gained a new weapon during her time off, and it was an Earth attributed sword called an Earthan Sword **(**shock), giving the second Green Wyrm an elemental hit, and Kite finished it off with Twin Dragon.

Kan'u, Chohi, and Zoey combined their attacks to give the second Green Wyrm some massive damage to its HP. Mousse leapt into the air and shouted "Tiger Claw!" and slashed it 10 times with his claws, defeating it.

Bacho and Yukinari charged at the final Green Wyrm, but bumped into each other after the flailing beast of almighty injustice dodged their attacks. The collision gave the poorboy hives even in The World, and Bacho was embarrassed. "Um… Sorry mister!" the young heroine of justice wailed as she got off him.

Ukyo casted "Gan Dom" and gave the final Green Wyrm a gigantic slap on the back with an Elemental Hit. Miroku cast lightning on it, but it did diddlysquat.

Inuyasha, in order to capitalize on this mysogny of a scene, shouted "Wind Scar!" The mighty wind attack defeated the Green Wyrm, causing it to vanish within the fabrications of the data realm.

The parties and Kan'u's group stared at each other after the battle was over and done. Besides conflicting art styles somehow in the game, they felt that the other had to be friendly. It was then that Black-haired Bandit decided to break the silence by introducing herself and her friends.

"My name is Kan'u Uncho, but my real name is Aisha. These are my friends…" And the party was introduced.

Gardenia was in thought about their names; and their clothes; and their weapons; hell, let's just say that their entire frames were filled with questions. Then, it hit her. "I know who you people are! You're from the anime, Koihime Musou!" She exclaimed. She neglected the original Visual Novel, but we will get to that eventually.

The girls of this apparent universe were beyond confused. "Ani…me? What's that?" Komei asked in confusion.

Ah, time for the knowledge to be spread! "Anime can be considered, well, Japanese cartoons. They can be either funny or more suitable for adults, and they are made with a variety of genre's, including action, drama, comedy, or even romance, to name a few." Yuusuke explained.

Zoey gasped in shock. She remembered Aura telling her all about Koihime Musou, an anime she had never heard of before, being one of the three anime worlds in peril. Could these people be from this show Aura was telling her about?

The girls that were currently being thought of were not fairing well with this information. "I don't understand…" Ryubi was confused, as was her friends.

"Yeah, you guys are famous from where we're from! Your characters were based on real life Chinese heroes from ancient China, and your adventures are well known on TV! You even had an adult visual novel that is based on your real-life adventures!… Oops!" Wakaba covered her mouth, knowing she has spilled the beans.

Kan'u and her friends pointed their weapons at the parties. "Who are you, and how do you know about us?!" the warrior demanded.

Gardenia looked at them seriously and stated, "Tell me, how did you people appear here from your show?"

That shocked Kan'u and her group. They thought about it for 49 seconds, until Bacho spoke up with, "50. It was that crazy weird portal in the Forest of No Return! It sucked us into whatever this place is!"

Inuyasha and his friends gasped. "That's exactly what happened to us too! Except we're real and we came from the Feudal Era!" the Dog-boy shouted in shock.

This sudden elaboration of revelations made a few of our new heroines pretty confused. "I don't understand. What are you guys talking about?" Chohi asked in confusion; her cat hair-clip was making confused faces based on Chohi's emotions.

This confusion would lead to disturbance, so something had to be done quickly. "Calm down, and listen to what we have to say," Kite stated.

So, now that they calmed the new party down, Zoey and company told Kan'u's group everything; about how they are anime characters based on real life historic heroes of Ancient China and the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the Girl in White called Aura, and the world Kan'u and her friends are in called The World.

The news hit these heroines like a sharp rock; I'm not good with similes. "Im-Impossible… We're just characters based on people from real life, just for entertainment?" Kan'u stammered as she lowered her staff, looking ready to just, you know, give up. Can't blame her, being that, if all of this was true, her entire life was a gigantic, neverending lie. Harsh, but that is life, no?

Still, they were far from the only one's that held concern. "What's this about some girl named Aura? It doesn't make any sense. Maybe she's trying to earn GP in The World?" Rachel scratched her head in confusion.

"I think you may have heard about her in the Board. She's the mysterious Girl in White seen throughout The World. No one knows who she is…" Natsume stated.

The young boy with them nodded. "And our friends, Orca and Bridge fell into a coma because of this game. That is why we're trying to find out why they went into a coma." Kite stated.

"Orca? Bridge?" Cho'un asked in curious.

The Mew nodded, her expression growing pale. "They're our friends who need our help. Bridge is my friend, a really important one, and Orca is Kite's friend and a famous player to boot. If you came here through a rainbow portal, then it must be fate," Zoey looked at Kan'u (who couldn't help but blush at the young girl's cute face) and her friends and pleaded, "Please! You have to help us save them and find Aura! If we can find Aura, she can provide us a clue on how to save them!"

Kite and Zoey couldn't tell their new friends about Aura being Data Drained by Skeith, but they knew they had to tell them later.

Kan'u was in thought. _'They're just like me… They lost some important people in their lives. They may not be dead, but what if that does occur? They have fallen into a coma due to this video game, as they called it… Those two people, Kite and Zoey, are pretty determined to help their friends wake from their comas… Maybe they were right. Is it fate that we met because of that portal?… I don't care if I'm real or not, they need our help in solving the mystery of The World!'_ Yeah, ellipses and her go way back.

The Black-Haired Warrior soon opened her eyes, a cheerful smile dancing on her lips. "Kite, Zoey, and everyone. Allow us to aid you in your quest to find out who or what is responsible for your friends' comas. But on two conditions."

They were happy at first, but conditions were usually painful. "And that is?" Kite raised an eyebrow.

Kan'u bowed to them, before holding the halberd out in front of her, looking as determined as the wind that calls forth chaos. "You will call us by our real names now that we're friends and allies, and Kite… Will you become my sworn brother in your quest for the truth?" she smiled.

"E-Eh?!" Chohi had a dotted eyed look. A sworn brother? How the hell could sworn brothers exist? That's just stupid! It could never happen!

"…O-Of course!" Kite smiled (the "O's" represented the letter and his corresponding face) as he rose his weapon high in the air; Kan'u did the same, and they locked weapons to show they have become sworn siblings (No Peach Gardens were affordable at this time).

It looks like one soul was excruciatingly happy due to this news. "Welcome to our family, Kite!" Ryubi closed her eyes and smiled.

"…I still don't get what's going on…" Rachel face faulted.

After that hilarity of a scene, the parties entered the dungeon. Kite and the gang looked around. "Kinda feels like there's… something here, don't it…?" Kite stated uneasily.

Gardenia gave him a classic "wow, what a detective you are!" face, though that didn't elevate her nervousness. "There is…" she stated seriously, refusing to let her guard down.

"Is it a rare item?" Mistral asked excitedly, jumping up and down. The mysterious woman grew ill from watching this hyper girl, and decided to end her excitement quickly.

"No…" Gardenia frowned.

"Awww…"

The parties had to fight their way through tough enemies, namely Specters and Green Wyrms, along with the demonic Noda Obuaga, Greeny-Beany's, and the Fantastic Mr. Foxx, but it was no problem for them at all; hell, they managed to level up to 33; dig that. They eventually reached the second floor, prepared for the next set of challenges.

Lisa then brought up a question. "Do you like flowers, Gardenia?" She asked her. Huh, what an odd one!

The currently troubled girl glared at her and stated, "Why do you ask that?"

"You picked the fields with flower names and talked about flowers the last time we met." Kite smiled nervously.

"Yeah, we were wondering if you liked flowers," stated, well, everybody, with the exception of the newcomers.

The girl grew infuriated. "Must I explain?" Gardenia frowned deeper.

"O-Only if you like…" Kan'u, Chohi, Komei, and Bacho had white dotted eye looks when Zoey told Gardenia that.

"Hmph. Well, then don't bother asking," Gardenia scolded as she walked towards the next room.

"W-Wow… She's even more mysterious and calm than Sei…" Kan'u muttered in shock.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing, Sei!"

When they entered the room leading to the next floor, Cho'un tensed. "What is it, Sei?" Midori asked in concern.

"…And you are?" Cho'un pointed her staff at… the same Twin Blade from the other day.

The Twin Blade, who could only sigh, once again said nothing as he used a Sprite Ocarina to leave the dungeon. "Who the hell was that guy?! Leaving without a word?! Hmph!" Rachel huffed.

Ranma, who decided to become part of the cast again, shook his head."We met him before when we first met you."

"Yeah, I get that, but just who is that guy?!" Tomoka growled.

While the girl who said the previous line was pretty young, this next person, who was nearly twice her age, was much more afraid. "H-He seems scary…" Koyomi stammered.

"Don't worry about him, Koyomi. He seems harmless, I think." Yukinari reassured her.

The parties pressed on, hoping no more distractions would occur, and thus they arrived at the final floor of the dungeon. They reached the last room, and in there, they saw Koga and his pack fighting a Skate Rat Ark.

The mysterious woman tensed up again. "That monster is the reason I'm here… Let's help them!" Gardenia shouted.

However, some members of the party were understandably put off. "Wait, is that Koga?! What's he and his pack doing here?!" Kagome gasped.

"You know them, Kag?" BlackRose asked her in confusion.

The young schoolgirl nodded, shaking her head in frustration. "Yeah, they're from the Feudal Era and… they're wolves… …Inuyasha and Koga have a rivalry." Kagome sighed in exhaustion.

It seemed that one-half of the rivalry was already getting prepared. "You're damn right about that! There's no way I'm helping that mangy wolf!" Inuyasha growled.

Kagome understood where the dog-boy was going with this, but at the same time, she knew what the right thing was. "Inuyasha, you _will_ help Koga and his pack or, else I'll say _IT_!" Kagome snapped at him. Inuyasha gulped as he nodded in fear. "Well, don't just stand there. Help them!"

The Skate Rat Ark cast a paralyzing spell on Koga. "D-Damn it!" Koga growled.

"Koga!" Kagome, Ginta ,and Hakkaku gasped in shock. There was no pun intended there, folks. Back to the fight.

"Damn it, you mangy wolf! Wind Scar!" Inuyasha launched his favorite attack on the monster, which screamed to the almighty heavens above, causing it to Protect Break.

The mysterious woman sneered, happy to see this fight ending so quickly. "Now! Kite! Zoey! One of you must Data Drain it!" Gardenia ordered. Zoey nodded as she activated her bracelet and shouted those fateful words. When she fired, the Skate Rat Ark was little more than a blip on the radar. The probably-flower-loving-lady smiled as she ended up killing it in one hit. Once the manifestation of energy disappeared, a treasure chest apparated before them. When she opened it, two Crystal Stones came into her possession. She gave them to the boy and the Mew.

Zoey figured it out. "I see. I think that's why you wanted us to come here. To defeat that monster… But why?" the girl asked her.

The mysterious woman laughed. "For revenge…. It got me before because I was not with a party. That's why I asked all of you to help." Gardenia smirked.

Kite chuckled as he nodded. Koga turned to the parties with a smirk and stated "Thanks, but we were handling it till you guys showed up. …Mm?" Koga immediately recognized the girl. "Kagome!" He smiled as he walked up to the frightened girl, gently grabbing her hand in order to kiss it. "Good to see you again. But… What's with the weird clothes, and why are you wielding a sword instead of your bow? Did mutt-face teach you how to swing a sword _that _badly?" the wolf joked.

Inuyasha was having enough of this. "Why, you mangy wolf! I'm gonna…!" he snarled, though a caring hand quickly put a stop to this.

"Save it, Inuyasha. Anger won't make it better." Gardenia stated coldly. The wolf-boy could only snort as a response.

Now that Inuyasha had calmed down, it was now time for some explanations. "Uh… How to put this…you're in my era, but not really… You're inside a video game called The World." Kagome smiled nervously, hoping that was at least satisfactory.

"Vee…deeo game? What's that, Kagome?" Ginta asked in confusion. At least the confusion is constant within Feudal Japan, especially with the wolves.

While it seemed that the party had to explain a _lot_, BlackRose decided that the dungeon wouldn't be the best place to do it. "Let's… gate out back to Root Town so we can explain everything."

To be continued…

**Next chapter: Performances and Warnings**

**A/N: Next up is Nuke Whatever his name is and Reika giving our heroes a warning to stay away from Midori and Yuusuke. But they won't listen to her! So stay tuned.**


	28. Performances and Warnings

Chapter 28: Performances and Warnings

The parties with Kan'u, her friends, Koga and his pack appeared back in Lambda Root Town.

"So, we're in Kagome AKA Kag's era, but in what you called a video game?" Koga asked, understanding what Kite and the gang told him and his pack. "That sounds about right. Did you come here by a portal like Inuyasha and my friends from the Feudal Era?" Kagome asked him.

"Y-Yeah! That portal came out of nowhere and sucked us right in! Next thing we know, we appeared in this veedeeo game and feeling not hungry or thirsty!" Ginta nodded. "Strange…" Lisa stated as she placed her hand on her chin.

"What's up, Liz?" Natsume asked her in concern. "Isn't it odd? First Inuyasha and his friends appeared in The World before we fought and defeated Skeith, next the main characters of Kohime Musuou appeared next, and now this wolf man and his pack arrived as well." Lisa stated seriously.

"Someone or something must be responsible for real life people to appear in The World in their real world bodies. But who or what?" Ranma asked as he too was in deep thought. "I bet it's a really cool event sponsored by CC Corp!" Mistral beamed happily, the parties sweat dropped except for Miharu. "Oh, that would be wonderful." Miharu exclaimed cheerfully.

"Miharu, don't you remember? There is no event, Orca and Bridge fell into a coma because of Skeith." Yukinari smiled cheerfully. "Skeith?" Rachel asked, then she brought something up. "And what was that weird skill that turned that monster into a wuss? It was really fricking cool and I wonder if you can get rare items witht hat skill!" Rachel shouted excitedly.

"Um…" Kite and Zoey looked down for about 50 seconds till they decided to tell her, Kan'u, her group, Koga and his pack about the powers of Data Drain, the same power that put Orca and Bridge into a coma.

"Damn… That Skeith guy is pretty cruel putting your friends into a coma like that." Koga frowned. "I never heard of a monster called Skeith. Is he an event monster?" Rachel asked them. "No… He wasn't an event monster. He too has the same power as us, Data Drain… We thought defeating him would bring back Orca and Bridge, but we were wrong… Something must have been ordering Skeith to do these awful things to players around The World…" Zoey frowned.

"And we still don't know the cause of what's happening to Nerima's computers." Ranma frowned. "If Skeith not responsible for computer's condition, what is?" Shampoo asked confusedly.

"Computers? What are those?" Chohi asked confusedly. "Um... To put it in a way you would understand, computers helped us with everyday life and getting work done and also playing games like The World." Kite smiled nervously. "I see. We're learning stuff everyday." Chohi smiled.

"If the one you called Skeith isn't responsible for your friends' condition, then someone or something must be pulling the strings here." Cho'un frowned as she looked at Lambda Root Town's night sky.

"Hmm…" Ryubi was in thought. "What is it, Toka?" Kan'u asked in concern. "It's strange, Aisha… In this world, we're what they called anime characters and still, we're real. Also, it feels strange to be inside a game in this world." Ryubi stated.

"It can't be helped. People write fanfics of anime characters appearing in the real world. I seen a lot of fanfics and they were all good and bad at the same time." Gardenia stated as she walked up a bit. "I'm logging out now. Call me again." Gardenia smiled as she logged out.

"We should log out too. You guys gonna be ok by yourselves?" BlackRose smiled softly. "No worries, we can handle being in this town in this game by ourselves." Kochu smiled. "Heh, I'll make sure mutt-face doesn't cause anymore damage." Koga smirked. Inuyasha growled at him.

"Okay. We'll be sure to keep in touch." Kagome smiled as everyone logged out except for those who can't log out due to them being sucked into The World from their era and worlds.

That night…

Zoey was turning and moaning in her sleep. She had another dream again.

It showed her in a barren wasteland in her character's form. She was facing Aura. "A-Aura?!" Zoey gasped in shock. Aura stared at Zoey sadly as she calmly made hand signs.

Luckily, Zoey was able to understand hand signs. "Watch… out… for… Innis… and… Magus…?" Zoey was confused, she heard of the names Innis and Magus from that statue in Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. Suddenly, there was an earthquake. Aura vanished.

"W-Wait! Aura!" Suddenly, two shadowy monsters appeared. The first one like a rock mural with pieces missing and the second one looks like a leaf.

Zoey frowned as she readies her sword and charges at the two monsters who charged back, however, they disappeared. Zoey was confused as she lowered her blade. Another earthquake occurred and then, Zoey saw with her very own eyes, the Skull Monster who appeared after Skeith's defeat.

Zoey gasped in shock as the Skull Monster let out a terrifying roar.

"Ahhh!" Zoey screamed as she woke up with a yell. She panted heavily. Sighing in relief, she checked her clock. It was 6:00 AM. She was silent as she had that dream. She knew she had to face whatever that thing was eventually. She got up, took a shower and got dressed for work.

After work was over and done with, she got back home and checked her email. She got 3 new ones. They're from Shampoo, Rachel and Kite. She read Shampoo's email which is subjected "Don't give up!" and it read:

**"Yu Jie knows Zoey won't give up till Zoey save friend! Yu Jie is rooting for Zoey in solving The World's mystery!"**

'Yu Jie…' Zoey smiled softly as she replied with "Thanks Yu Jie. I think your encouragement is giving me a boost in confidence." She sent the reply. She read Rachel's email next. It was subjected "My goal in life" and it read:

**"My goal in life is to become the next Chief in Editing. I don't know what's the deal with the Girl in White or why people are falling into a coma, but this could be the next big thing!"**

Zoey sweat dropped and replied with "Chief in Editing of what?" She sent the reply. Finally, she read Kite's email. It was subjected "Nuke Usagimaru" and it read:

**"Zoey, check the Board in The World about something called the Nuke Usagimaru Show. I think it's worth checking out."**

"Nuke Usagimaru… A pretty long name for a player in The World…' Zoey thought as she went to The World's Board. She found the thread and the topic is called "Handshakes with you" and it read:

**The 'Nuke Usagimaru Show' will be held at the dungeon of Lambda Lightless Distant Dead Lands. Call your friends and come by! But no jeering from the crowd, thank you! If you want to watch, come alone, without a party."**

'Is this guy nuts or something?!' Zoey thought to herself in annoyance and shock. She decided to check it out by logging into The World.

She used the Chaos Gate to warp to Lambda Lightless Distant Dead Lands. She quickly made it to the dungeon without any monsters getting in her way. She sees a crowd, Kite being one of them and a man about 24 years old, wore an outfit that is is extremely vibrant with color, sporting yellow and blue striped clothes, and having a large pink hairdo. Not to mentioned, he looked like a certain player of The World.

"Let's start already!" A player named Morgan growled. "C'mon make me laugh." Nece added. "Countin' on ya!" Sasaki gave the player who is performing a thumbs up. "I'm a bit picky when it comes to performances." Q stated coldly. "Woo Hoo!" Melon cheered.

"Okay, shall we get started?!" The player known as Nuke Usagimaru grinned as he struck a pose. "Why is the grass green? Why is the sky blue? And why is water wet?" Nuke Usagimaru joked, there were cricket sounds before almost everyone left the dungeon. Kite and Zoey were the only ones left.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Nuke Usagimaru smiled, before he noticed almost the entire audience is gone. He noticed Kite and Zoey and gasped "You two are the only ones?!" Nuke thought about it for about 20 seconds till he smiled and said " 'Tis an actor's job to perform, even with just two audience members. Show's on at B3. Come along now." Nuke waved as he ran into the dungeon.

"Er…" Zoey raised an eyebrow in humor. "Let's go check it out…" Kite chuckled nervously. Before they can head further, they heard "Halt…" Blinking in unsion, they turned around to see Reika coming up to them coldly.

"Who are you?" Zoey asked her, readying her sword. "My name is Reika… I know who you two are, Kite and Zoey. And I come to give you two a warning." Reika stated coldly. "Are you with Lios?" Kite frowned as he readies his twin blades.

"Don't pair me with that pig-head. I want you two to stay away from Yuusuke and Midori. If you continue hanging out with them, something bad may happen to them in real life." Reika stated.

"Are you friends with Yuusuke and Midi?" Zoey frowned as she gripped her sword. "A little bit of side A and side B." Reika shrugged. "Sorry, we can't do that. They're helping us save our friends." Kite frowned.

"I see… I can see why you wanted their help. Very well, I won't interfere with your interaction with them. I may be able to help you two defeat Her and restore Aura and save The World, the real world and the 3 anime worlds." Reika smiled softly as she used Gate Out to leave the dungeon. "Hey wait!" Zoey tried to stop her, but was too late. "Who the hell was that girl?" Kite blinked.

"I don't know. She seems to know what we're doing… But let's not let that stop us." Zoey smiled cheerfully as the two of them head deeper into the dungeon.

When they reached the second floor, they gasped in shock to see the Twin Blade from two days ago staring at them. Once again, he said nothing as he Gate Out back to Root Town. "I think he's trying to test us." Zoey figured. "Yeah… Maybe we'll see him again." Kite nodded as they head to the final room in the final floor of the dungeon.

They see Nuke fighting an pumpkin like ghost monster. "Nuke Usagimaru's battle talk show is just about to begin. Let's do it!" Nuke dodged a swipe from the monster. Nuke shouted with a silly pose "It's showwtimmme!" Nuke locked his weapon with the monster's sword before turning to face Kite and Zoey.

"So, how's my technique? Now this is what I call graceful. Am I right or what?" Kite and Zoey were speechless. "Special techniques are cool only when you use them at the precise time. Don't overuse them." Nuke winked as he inflicted enough damage on the monster to cause it to Protect Break.

"…I think he needs our help." Zoey sighed as she activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" Luckily, Nuke leaped into the air to avoid Zoey's Data Drain skill, reverting the monster to a weak little monster. Nuke brought his spear down on the monster, killing it. Kite and Zoey rushed up to Nuke.

Nuke smiled at the two and said "Thanks to your on stage performance, my show was a success! And what a show, using that weird skill to turn that strong monster into a weak one! I have never seen such a graceful and powerful skill that can turn strong monsters into weak ones!" Nuke grinned.

"Um…" Kite and Zoey grinned nervously at the same time. "Hey! I just got a brilliant idea! How about we exchange member addresses? I won't take no for an answer." Nuke offered. 'Just like Rachel…' Zoey thought as both she and Kite nodded in agreement.

"Great! I knew you two will agree!" Nuke cheered as they exchange member addresses. "Well, see ya later, alligator!" Nuke waved as he logged out. Kite and Zoey sighed in exhaustion.

To be continued…

Next time: Moonstone

A/N: Next up, the mysterious Moonstone will join our heroes in their quest after they help him with a dungeon and they will meet the Love Hina gang in Moonstone's dungeon and more Kohime Musuou characters will appear with the girl loving Sousou! So stay tuned!


	29. Moonstone

Chapter 29: Moonstone

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Kanagwa Prefecture…

"Keitaro! You pervert!" Naru growled angrily as she once again punches Keitaro in the face, sending him halfway through Hina Town. Once again, Naru and Motoko mistaken Keitaro for peeking on them and 'punished' him.

Keitaro was walking down the road home, injured a little. He was thinking it's about time he evicted Naru, Motoko and Kitsune for all the stuff they have done to him. And also grounding Sara for being a jerk to him… His friend, Seta have given him permission to ground his adopted daughter cause he feels sorry for Keitaro for all the horrible stuff she and the three women has caused him. He finally made it to Hinata Inn where Shinobu, Su, Mutsumi and Sara were there to greet him.

"Sempai, are you alright? Did Naru and Motoko do this to you as usual when you tried to clean the hot spring when you putted up the sign 'Cleaning in process'?" Shinobu asked, out of pity for her would be lover.

"Don't worry about it, Shinobu. I'm used to it. But I think it's about time I evicted Naru, Motoko and Kitsune." Keitaro sighed wearily. Su gasped. "Y-You mean Big Sister Motoko, Naru and Kit are gonna get kicked out?! Nooo…" Su looked down in sadness.

"I'm sorry, Su. I have no choice, if they fuck up again, they're gone. Pardon my language you three." Keitaro bowed his head in apology. "I-It's alright, Sempai." Shinobu blushed. Keitaro glared at Sara.

"Why are you glaring at me, dork? You gonna prevent me from telling Naru, Motoko and Sara that you're gonna give them the boot?" Sara stick her tongue at Keitaro, but her taunting tongue vanished when Keitaro in a flash picked up Sara and put her in a spanking position and began to spank her.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! You dork! You have no permission to do that to me!" Sara winced as she got up and rubbed her sore butt. "Oh yes I do! Your stepfather has given me permission to do that! And he gave me permission to punish you since you were acting like a spoiled brat! As of today, you're grounded till further notice! Now go to your room!" Keitaro snapped, panting heavily.

Sara for the first time in her life was in tears. She snapped angrily at Keitaro "I HATE YOU DORK! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! NO ONE IS!" Sara ran to her room, crying. Keitaro sighed in exhaustion.

"I think I went a little too far on her." Keitaro looked at the floor sadly. "I understand, Keitaro. Sara is my friend, but she needs to mature into a fine adult. I know of a way to help you relieve your stress, Keitaro! Video games!" Su grinned as she stepped aside to reveal boxes of The World.

"The World…? Isn't that the popular video game that everyone was talking about?" Keitaro asked confusedly. "Yep! I know a friend from CC Corp who gave me permission to get The World for everyone in Hinata Inn." Su stated as she used one of her robots to open the boxes, revealing starter packs for The World.

Then, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune came in. "Urashima, I heard Sara crying! Did you do something perverted to her?!" Motoko Aoyama growled as she readies her sword to strike down on the 'pervert'.

"Hold on a minute, Motoko. Su has something to say about our relationship problems. The World." Keitaro stated, in an attempt to save himself from being flung halfway through Japan once again.

"The World? Isn't that the game the people at Tokyo U are talking about?" Naru raised an eyebrow. "Yep! It's a really popular video game that will soon be put into the Guinness Book of World Records. I think this is a great way to improve our relationship skills." Su offered.

"Forget it. There's no way I will improve my relationship with that pervert!" Naru glared at Keitaro. "But it's a great way to relived stress." Su persuaded. Naru thought about for 1 minute till she muttered "Fine…"

"Very well, this may be able to help me improve on my sword skills." Motoko nodded. "Hah! Maybe they have sake I can enjoy!" Kitsune stated with a foxy grin. "I-I'll give The World a try too." Shinobu stated in shyness.

"Hmm. I'll give The World a try too." Mutsumi smiled cheerfully. And with that, everyone grabbed their packages of The World and began installing it and creating their characters.

(In The World)

"Who's a cute Grunty? You are! Yes you are!" Chohi laughed cheerfully as she gave the Baby Grunty some Grunty Food. The baby Grunty happily accepted them. Kan'u couldn't help but smile. Ever since they have arrived in The World, Kan'u and her group almost feel like they have fit in. So was Koga and his pack even though they looked out of place.

"My, these Grunties are so cute when they're little." Kochu smiled, Rin made some baby noises in agreement. "Y-Yeah. These pig things are cute alright." Bacho muttered, suddenly, she noticed someone coming towards them.

It was Balmung! And boy, he's not too happy to see Kan'u and her group. Kan'u looked at Balmung. She could feel some hostility in them.

"Who are you?" Kan'u asked with a frown. "I am Balmung. I want to know who you people are and why do your forms do not match any of the Players in The World." Balmung glared. "We… were sucked into this world from our world. We met Kite and Zoey and they told us about this world." Chohi was nervous. "Y-Yeah. They're really nice." Ryubi was getting nervous as well, she could feel Balmung's cold glare looking at her.

"So, you're friends with those two hackers…" Balmung frowned. "Hackers? What are those?" Cho'un asked him while matching Balmung's frown with her frown. "Hackers are criminals who spread viruses throughout the Internet! The ones called Kite and Zoey are nothing but hackers, evil hackers!" Balmung growled angrily. "Hey man, lay off! I don't get why you know Kite and Zoey, but we won't take you insulting them!" Koga growled.

"Hold on a minute! They were real nice when we met them! They're trying to help their friends wake from their comas!" Bacho growled, Balmung was pissing her off. "If you lot continue to hang around with those two hackers… I will delete all of you!" Balmung growled.

"But we're not players in The World! We're from another world!" Komei reasoned. "A likely story… You expect me to believe that?!" Balmung growled angrily. Kan'u pointed her spear at Balmung. "It's true! Why don't you believe us?!" Hakkaku growled.

"We don't take too kindly to those who insult our friends. I advise you leave." Kan'u stated coldly. "And who are you supposed to be? Some black haired beauty? Fine… But heed my warning or else!" Balmung growled as he turned around and left, leaving Kan'u really miffed about what Balmung said.

"I… am getting really tired of people calling me the black haired beauty because of my black hair…!" Kan'u gritted her teeth angrily. "Aisha, please calm down. Don't mind what Balmung the Jerkface says. He has a grudge against Kite and Zoey. But I wonder why…" Bacho frowned.

"Er… What does that jackass mean by black haired beauty?" Koga asked, scratching his head in confusion. "Oh, big sister Aisha gets annoyed real easily when she mentioned of her hair. She is the Black Haired Bandit Killer and some people think she may not be the one killing bandits because Aisha is known for her black hair." Chohi smiled nervously and sweat dropped.

"P-Please… Rinrin, don't tell them that…" Kan'u sighed irritably.

"Maybe he doesn't trust us like he doesn't trust Kite and Zoey? Plus, he seems to know Kite and Zoey. I believe Kite and Zoey has a history with him." Cho'un stated as she rubbed her chin in thought.

Just then, Kan'u, her group, Koga and his pack noticed Keitaro and the Hinata residents except for Sara logging into The World when they have finished creating their characters.

Keitaro's character looked like his real world self, wore an white robe with white pants with blue designs on it and he has an staff shaped like an hook. He still wore his glasses.

Naru's character is also based on her real world self. She is a Blademaster who wore yellow armor for women and a sword.

Motoko's character is like her real world self. A dark miko robe with a katana and she has symbols on her face.

Kitsune's character was based on her real world self, she wore a revealing purple set of clothes with a spear on her back and she has longer hair and she has her eyes closed like Natsume and like her real world self sometimes.

Shinobu's character is based on her real world self, but she is an adult and has a beautiful body and wore dark green Wavemaster clothes and has a silver rod.

Su's character is based on her New Moon self. She has longer hair, wore Heavy Blade clothes consist of an yellow armored bikini and armored shorts and steel greaves and steel gloves. She wield an sword that has some edges cut out.

And finally, Mutsumi's character is based on her real world self, she wore an revealing green Twin Blade clothes set and two short swords that are like the ones Kite started out with when he first played The World.

"Are they players like Kite and Zoey?" Ryubi asked in confusion. "I think so. I know we shouldn't interact with players cause we're not really players, but let's go greet them." Kan'u suggested.

"An excellent idea, Aisha." Kochu smiled as Kan'u's group walked up to Keitaro.

"Hello there." Kan'u greeted. "Gah!" Keitaro jumped, before turning to face Kan'u's group. "O-Oh hello. I'm Keitaro. I used my real name to create this character and I choose Wavemaster cause of their long range attacks." Keitaro smiled nervously. He then eyed Kan'u and her group.

"Say… I have never seen characters like yours before. They looked like they're from the hit anime, Koihime Musou." Keitaro looked at them. Now Kan'u and her friends were nervous. Should they tell them they were sucked from their world into The World mysteriously?

Unfortunately, they didn't get to answer when Naru shouted "Keitaro!" She and Motoko glared at Keitaro who gulped nervously. "Vile male! You looking at those players so you can moleste them?!" Motoko shouted angrily. "Wait. You don't understand, he asked us an question about our er… characters!" Bacho grinned nervously.

"Liar! Even in this video game you're still a fifthly pervert! I will punish you now!" Motoko was about to strike her blade down on poor Keitaro before Kan'u used her spear to block it.

"What are you doing?! So you're a friend of this perverted male?! So I will send you and Urashima flying!" Motoko gritted her teeth angrily as she jumped up and landed a few feet, Kan'u glared at Motoko who glared back.

"So, you have perverted female friends you met online, Keitaro?! So I will hit you till you disappear!" Naru was about to hit Keitaro, but Chohi blocked her sword with her spear.

"Grrr!" Naru growled as she and Chohi charged at each other. "Oh no…" Keitaro panicked.

(In the real world)

Zoey just got back from her jog and checked her email, she got only 1 and it's from someone named Moonstone. When she sees the picture of Moonstone, she gasped in shock to see who Moonstone really is! He was the Twin Blade who appeared three days in a row!

The subject said "Don't have to…" And it read:

**"But assist. Lambda Bottomless Guffawing Raw Ore…" **

"Huh… He also included his member address. Better invite Kite, BlackRose, Kagome, Inuyasha, his friends, Koga, his pack and Kan'u and her friends." Zoey stated as she logged into The World.

When she got to Lambda Server, she sees Kan'u, Naru, Chohi and Motoko fighting. Sweat dropping, she walked up to Bacho and asked "What's going on?"

"Two idiotic women accused a male player of being a pervert and Aisha and Rinrin defended him by fighting those two idiotic women players." Bacho stated. Keitaro walked up to Zoey and bowed his head in apology.

"I apologize for my tenants' behavior, two of them get like that, a lot. I'm Keitaro by the way. And you are?" Keitaro smiled nervously. "I'm Zoey. And It's alright. Nice to meet you." Keitaro looked at Zoey really carefully, Su, Shinobu and Mutsumi walked up to them.

"I never seen a player color like that before. Must be pretty rare. Did you design that character by yourself with that rare color?" Keitaro asked. "Err…" Zoey smiled nervously. She turned her attention to the brawl between Kan'u, Chohi, Naru and Motoko. Luckily, it came to a stop as Moonstone appeared and slashed Naru and Motoko in quick speed.

"Wh-Who the hell…" Naru growled weakly. "I-Impossible… an male player has defeated… me… in this game…" Naru and Motoko fell unconscious. Saying nothing, Moonstone gave them Resurrects.

Moonstone glared at them. "Apologize to Keitaro…" He stated coldly. Naru and Motoko frowned, not only did Moonstone beat them, but he's making them apologize to Keitaro. They muttered "S-Sorry…" Soon, Kite, BlackRose and Kagome logged in.

Kite stared at what happened. "Er… What happened?" "Oh nothing." Ryubi giggled. BlackRose walked up to Moonstone. "Are you Moonstone? The one who sent us your email along with your member address?" She asked. "…Yes." Moonstone nodded.

"Not a chatty person, aren't you?" Komei figured. "Um, excuse us, who are you?" Shinobu asked them nervously. Cutting this short, everyone introduced each other.

"Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you, yadda yadda yadda. So where's the sake?" Kitsune asked, looking around. "Um… The World has no sake." Kagome smiled nervously. "Really?! That bites ass. But you can get rich in The World, eh?" Kitsune winked.

Inuyasha and his friends showed up. "Oi! Kag! Who are these guys? And what's that Twin Blade doing here?" Inuyasha demanded. "…My name is Moonstone." Moonstone greeted calmly.

"So, we're heading to Lambda Bottomless Guffawing Raw Ore?" BlackRose asked. "Um… If it is alright, can we go with you guys, so we can get stronger?" Shinobu pressed her fingers nervously. "No way! What if they decided to attack us?! The males I mean!" Naru protested. "I refused to form parties with males and-"

"ENOUGH!" Keitaro screamed, he panted heavily, he glared at Naru and Motoko and told them calmly "It would be rude to turn down their offer. So regardless of gender, we should join them… Isn't this game supposed to help us on our relationship skills?" He asked calmly. Naru and Motoko looked at Keitaro in shock before they muttered "Fine…"

"Alright! Let's go on an adventure!" Su cheered. "We're going to exterminate everyone monster in Lambda Bottomless Guffawing Raw Ore…" Moonstone stated. "Huh? Why Mister Moonstone?" Shippo asked confusedly.

Zoey figured it out. "I think I know, you want to get stronger, am I right?" Zoey smiled. Moonstone nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's go." Kite smiled. Everyone formed their parties and went to Lambda Bottomless Guffawing Raw Ore.

2 hours later…

"Data Drain!" Kite and Zoey shouted as they used their bracelets' powers to revert the final two monsters of the dungeon to weak monsters, Moonstone instantly killed them with ease. "W-What was that skill?! It turned those monsters into wusses!" Bacho gasped in shock. "…I'm impressed." Moonstone commented with a smile hidden in his clothes.

"Er… About that…. We'll explain later, let's head back to Root Town. Moonstone, are you coming too since we kicked all the monsters' asses?" BlackRose smiled at him. "…Of course. I am interested in those powerful skills." Moonstone nodded.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Young Queen and the Failed Data

A/N: Sorry Moonstone didn't get enough action and a KM character didn't appear, so next chapter will have more Moonstone action and Sousou appearing, I promise! And after that chapter, it will be the showdown with the Second Phase, Innis: The Mirage of Deceit! So stay tuned!


	30. The Young Queen and the Failed Data

Chapter 30: The Young Queen and the Failed Data

We turn to a Protected Area in The World. We see an campsite in the Protected Area. Inside, we see Sousou AKA Karin, Queen of the Gi kingdom and her servants, Kakoton AKA Shunran, her sister, Kakoen AKA Shuran and Juniku AKA Keifa discussing this strange world they were sent to after traveling through the Forest of No Return.

Sousou smirked as she got out of the tent and looked at the corrupted area of The World. She doesn't mind or know what those green things on the skies are or the strange data floating in midair, but she took it as her liking and temporary base of operations.

Sousou turned to Juniku and asked her calmly "Keifa, have you found out where we are yet?" Juniku blushed and muttered "N-No. Not yet. Ever since we went through that forest, we arrived in this strange world and to make matters even more odd, we don't feel hungry or thirsty at all…"

Kakoton folded her arms. "Perhaps we should check that underground area in this world? Maybe we should get a clue there?" "I agree with you, Oni-chan." Kakoen nodded. "Then, it is decided then." Sousou smiled eerily as she walked towards the dungeon, her weapon readied. "Let us have some fun…" Sousou grinned darkly.

(Back to Kite, Zoey and the others)

"…And that's the story." Kite explained to his new friends about the powers of Data Drain. (A/N: I forgot that Kan'u and her friends saw Kite and Zoey's Data Drain powers in a earlier chapter, so that's why I made an mistake in the last chapter.) Zoey also explained to Keitaro and his tenants about how Orca and Bridget were put in a coma because of Skeith and the Girl in White, Aura who gave Kite and Zoey their bracelets.

"Cooolllll! I didn't know CC Corp made an event like that!' Su beamed. "It's not a fricking event or whatever you called it! Those two's friends are really in a coma!" Inuyasha growled. "Inuyasha, they need time to believe what Kite and Zoey told them." Kagome reasoned.

"Hold on a second! How do we know you're not making this up?!" Naru demanded. "I bet it's a scheme by Urashima and this Kite person to try to take advantage of us!" Motoko growled. "That's not it! Why do you think men are perverts anyway?!" Bacho growled angrily.

"Cause men are nothing but skirt chasing fiends who will do anything to get into a woman's special area! I will punish them if they do that!" Motoko swings her katana to try to prove her point.

Moonstone glared at Motoko and simply stated "…Tell me, how exactly are you born?" "W-What kind of foolish answer is that?!" Motoko stammered. "…Are you familiar with the Bible story of Adam and Eve?" Moonstone added.

"Y-Yes. But what does that got to do with this?" Motoko nodded nervously. Zoey gets what Moonstone is trying to do. "Before time began, the Lord created Adam in the Garden of Eden, but then he feels Adam will be lonely, so he created Eve out of Adam's ribs and the two of them fall in love. As time goes by, Adam and Eve gave birth to their children, both men and female. Some say the people today are descendants of Adam and Eve's offspring. Cause if men never fall in love with women, women would not be born." Zoey stated.

"How should I know this Adam isn't trying to teach males about violating women?" Motoko added with a frown. "If that were true, then you and your sister wouldn't be born! Don't you get it, Motoko?! You were treating me and men like crap cause you foolishly believe all men in the world are perverts! If your sister saw you continuing punishing men for no God damn reason, she would think you have disgraced the Aoyama clan!" Keitaro shouted, a bit of anger in his outburst.

Motoko was silent as she stuttered as she dropped her sword. "…I need time to think about this." Motoko stated sadly as she logged out. "…This isn't over." Naru growled as she too logged out. Before they headed to do Moonstone's request, Keitaro and his friends exchange member addresses with the rest of the gang.

"Thanks for inviting us, I got to go study for an exam." Keitaro smiled as he bowed politely and logged out. "Today was so much fun. Hope we do this again!" Mutsumi smiled as she too logged out.

"Um… Thank you for helping Sempai." Shinobu shifted nervously as she too logged out. "What a waste of time… Later." Kitsune grumbled as she logged out as well. "Today was super special awesome! Let's play again!" Su grinned as she also logged out.

"…Later." Moonstone said as he logged out as well. Soon, Zoey, Kite, BlackRose and Kag logged out as well. "They must have important parts in their lives to play this game." Miroku smiled as he tried to rub Sango's ass again, but Kan'u noticed it and used her spear to hit him in the noggin, knocking the poor pervert out. Inuyasha, his friends and Kan'u's friends sighed while Rin laughed.

The next day…

Zoey was checking The World's BBS and she checked Protected Area again and found something interesting. It was a topic by a player and it read:

**"Found an protected area in Lambda Server as well. Anyone know when they'll be done with the maintenance? You probably can't go in but it was: Lambda Nameless Seeker's Prairie."**

"An clue…" Zoey stated as she logged into The World. In Lambda server, she sees Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, Bacho and Moonstone chatting. She walked up to them.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Zoey asked. "Zoey, did you read the Board about an Protected Area?" Kite asked her. "Yeah. It was Lambda Nameless Seeker's Prairie. It's an area worth checking out." Zoey nodded.

"Um, what are you two talking about?" Bacho asked, scratching the back of her head. "You'll see…" Mistral grinned as Kite and Zoey selected Lambda Nameless Seeker's Prairie and the Protected Area words appeared and Kite and Zoey's Gate Hacking menus appeared on their arms. "W-What is going on?" Bacho stammered.

"Just shut up and watch." BlackRose sighed irritably as Kite and Zoey inserted the correct amount of virus cores, then they entered the data tunnel. "Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a!" Bacho screamed as she, Moonstone, BlackRose, Mistral, Kite and Zoey flew up in the data tunnel before arriving at their destination.

Bacho panted heavily as she looked at the corrupted scenery of Lambda Nameless Seeker's Prairie. "Wh-What the hell is this?!" Bacho stammered. "That… was the power of Gate Hacking… It allows us to go into Protected Areas." Kite stated. "Let's head into the dungeon to see what we can learn." Zoey suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the dungeon.

When they reached the second floor of the dungeon, they encountered Sousou and her servants looking around. Bacho gasped in shock, and then gritted her teeth angrily as she readies her spear, intending to get revenge for her father's death. But Moonstone stopped. "Moonstone! Why are you-" "…Revenge is not always the right choice…" Moonstone told her calmly.

Bacho gasped in shock. Does Moonstone also watched Koihime Musou?! Sousou noticed the parties and smirked. "Well, what do we have here? Visitors of this strange world? And I see Little Sui is with them."

"S-Shut up…" Bacho muttered in embarrassment. "You know this girl, Sui?" Kite asked her in amazement. "Y-Yeah… She's the queen of the Gi Kingdom and the one who murdered my father!" Bacho growled.

"I told you… I didn't kill your father. Someone else did." Sousou stated calmly as she folded her arms. She noticed BlackRose and was admired by the way she is dressed, she winked at her. "W-What the hell is that girl doing?" BlackRose stammered..

"Lady Karin, some of them wear strange attire. Should they be trusted?" Kakoton asked her lord. "Only if they tell us where we are…" Sousou smiled eerily.

Kite, Zoey and their friends told Lady Sousou and her servants about the world they're in, The World, how they're anime characters based on real life heroes of Ancient Japan and the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and their mission to wake Orca and Bridget from their comas.

"You expected us to believe that we're characters based on these historical figures and this… television show and we're inside what you called a video game?!" Juniku glared. "I think it's an event which I'm too exicted to take part in! Yay!" Mistral cheered.

"Hey! Me, Aisha and the others at first didn't believe Kite and Zoey, but they're telling the truth! Right now, their friends, Orca and Bridge need their help!" Bacho frowned as she looked away, she still can't bring herself to forgive Sousou.

"Hmm… …Your story makes sense to me." Sousou unfolded her arms and smirked. "WHAT!?" "Nani?!" Kite and Zoey's friends except for Moonstone and Sousou's servants looked at the Gi Queen in shock.

"But Lady Karin! What if they lead us into a trap so Sui can take another shot at assassinating you?!" Kakoen reasoned. Sousou glared at Kakoen which made Kakoen gulped. "Are you questioning my authority, Shuran? Plus, they are friends with out favorite bandit killer. Plus, this Bridge got me intrigued. It will take time for us to accept their truth, but would it be rude to turn down their offer for help?" Sousou walked up to Zoey and grinned at her, Zoey gulped nervously.

"It would be an honor working with you, miss…" "Z-Zoey. Nice to meet you too, Lady Karin…" Zoey looked away in embarrassment. "We should keep moving…" Moonstone stated as he calmly walked towards the next room.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they went to the final floor.

As they entered the room with the purple mist, they see someone, but what made them gasped in shock that this player has pieces of his body missing! He got near the magic portal and a Data Bug appeared! "Sorry… did I wake it?" The strange PC named Sheraton asked as he let the monster whale on him.

"W-What is that idiot doing?!" Juniku stammered. "I feel an kinship…" Mistral has a serious look on her face. "…We must help." Moonstone charged at the Data Bug. The scorpion Data Bug lashed its stinging tail at Moonstone, but he dodged it with ease.

Moonstone shouted "Twin Dragon!" And spins like a tornado, giving the Data Bug some medium damage. "Gan Smash!" BlackRose leaped into the air and slams her blade down on the Data Bug, inflicting little damage on it before it knocked her away. "Rom Dom!" Mistral casted an darkness spell on the Data Bug, giving it medium damage.

Moonstone and Bacho charged at the Data Bug, and they attacked it 10 times at the same time. Zoey with her new Oval Sword shouted "Rue Slash!" She slashed the Data Bug three times.

Kite got in close to the Data Bug and slashed it 5 times with his twin swords. Kakoton and Kakoen threw shurikens at the Data Bug, giving it little damage. Sousou charged at the Data Bug. "Lady Sousou!" Both sisters gasped. "Sousou!" Bacho also gasped in shock.

The Data Bug lashed its sting tail at the Gi Queen, but Sousou dodged each lash with grace. Sousou leaped into the air and brought her foot down on the Data Bug, causing it to recoil. The Protect Break words appeared.

"Yeah!" Bacho cheered, but her cheer didn't last long as the Data Bug got back up. "Oh give me a fricking break! How long till we beat this demon?!" Bacho gawked. "Data Drain!" Kite activated his bracelet and rewrite the monster's program, causing it to revert to a normal Scorpilold. "…Finish it." Moonstone charged at the monster and instantly killed it with one attack.

Sheraton looked at the parties in oddity. "Why are you in the way? Are you Mr. In the Way? Hello, do you have End?" Sheraton asked confusedly. "H-Huh? What are you talking about?" Zoey asked confusedly. "I want End. Someone give me End." Sheraton stated. "Are... Are you alright?" BlackRose asked Sheraton in concern.

"Yes! I'm Mr. In the Way! Nice to meet you!" Mistral closed her eyes and smiled. "Not helping, Mistral…" Kite muttered dryly. Sheraton then Gate Out to who knows where.

"What was that? It didn't look like… a regular player…" Kite was still shocked about this. "Maybe Lios would know something. Let's go back to the town." Zoey suggested. "Lios?" Bacho, Sousou and her servants asked in confusion.

The parties made it back to Lambda Root Town where Kite and Zoey told Lios about the strange player they have encountered.

"So what was a player doing in a Protective Area?" Zoey demanded. "That is probably failed data. They are immune to the protection. But a Data Bug… Hmm… That's worse than I expected." Lios scratched his chin in thought. "So it's not a person?" BlackRose gasped in shock.

"Of course." Lios nodded. "It is useless meaningless data. There is nothing more or less. We will initiate the follow-up investigation. I will inform you of your next orders later…" Lios stated as he logged out.

"I don't like him… He's ordering us around while people are in danger of never waking up again!" Bacho growled. "Hey, where's Lady Karin?" Juniku panicked as she looked around for her master, they heard Kan'u's scream, meaning Sousou is groping Kan'u when she and her servants got to Lambda Root Town. Everyone except for Moonstone sweat dropped.

"Well, no use standing around here. You guys can hang tight when we get back." Zoey smiled softly as she, Kite, BlackRose, Mistral and Moonstone logged out.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Second Phase: The First Segment.

A/N: Next up is the showdown with the second Phase, Innis: The Mirage of Deceit! So stay tuned!


	31. Second Phase: The First Segment

Chapter 31: Second Phase: The First Segment

Somewhere in a desert in The World, a voice was heard.

"…So Skeith has fallen… I never knew Aura would be so troublesome… How long must you interfere with my plans, Aura?" The voice growled. "…Innis." Something appeared in shadows. "You have the first piece of Aura, the foolish girl who is a thorn in my plan to destroy the inferior humans of both the real world and three anime worlds… You must face Aura's friends at this location they're going to. Do not end up like Skeith."

The thing called Innis disappeared. "…? Oh, it is you, Naraku." True enough, Naraku walked into the scene. "Hahaha… It seems your daughter's friends are becoming more troublesome than you thought." Naraku smirked.

"Do not refer Aura as my daughter! The infection of this pitiful world is coming into fruition; soon I will hack into the military computers of the real world and destroy the real world and those three anime worlds as well. Humans are nothing but fifth toying with others…" The voice stated cruelly and evilly.

Naraku chuckled evilly and sated "As you say so, Morganna."

(Back in the real world)

Zoey got back from work and checked her email. She got 8 emails from Lios, Keitaro, Shinobu, Su, Mutsumi, Futuba, Mousse and Kite. She read Lios' email first. The subject said "Investigate" and it read:

**"Investigate an area with heavy infection. The Keywords are: Lambda Resurrecting Confused Judgment."**

'An area worth investigating…?' Zoey tensed as she turned around and gasped in shock as she sees Aura in holographic form. "Aura?!" Zoey gasped again. Aura made hand signs again. "Innis… has… the… first… segment… of… my… body… Please… get… it… back… Innis? And what do you mean he has the first segment of your body?" Zoey asked, Aura said nothing as she disappeared.

"Wait! Aura!" Zoey tried to stop her, but was too late. "Oh well… If this Innis guy has a piece of Aura, I got to do everything I can to help her get it back." Zoey smiled softly as she resumes her email reading. She read Keitaro's email and the subject said "About me" and it read:

**"I am the owner of Hinata Inn located somewhere in Tokyo. I am currently trying to get into Tokyo U. But I fear I won't be able to get in. Anyway, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune cause me nothing but trouble and they're going to make me evict them soon. Other than that, I still don't understand the whole Data Drain thing, but I will do my best to help you."**

'Wow… This guy has it rough.' Zoey thought sadly as she replied with "I sure there is good in them somewhere. I know you're not a pervert, but I told Motoko about Adam and Eve so she'll understand that not all males are perverts. I too have someone who gets on my nerves sometimes, but he… he's kinda cute when he teach me about stuff I didn't know." She sent the reply.

Zoey read Shinobu's email next. The subject of her email is called "Um…" and it read:

**"I started living at Hinata Inn when my parents were divorced; I'm a good cook… I'm nervous around people. But I really… I really like Sem- Never mind… I believe you and Kite about your friends falling into a coma. I don't know how I can help you, but I'll do my best."**

Zoey replied with "Thanks. Glad you believed our story. And sorry about your parents splitting up before you went to Hinata Inn. I got to go there sometime so I can try some of your cooking!" She sent the reply.

She read Su's email next and the subject said "Coooolll!" And it read:

**"That was fun two days ago! I'm gonna log into The World again so I can see yours and Kite's really cool data rewriting skills!" **

"Errr…" Zoey sweat dropped as she replied with "S-Sure. Why not?" She sent the reply. She read Mutsumi's email next and the subject was "I like watermelons" and it read:

**"I like watermelons. They're so juicy and sweet. I like feeding them to Tama-chan the turtle. What do you like, Zoey?"**

Zoey replied with "Strawberry cakes and fish. I looooovve fish! (Smiley)" She sent the reply. She read Futuba's email next and the subject said "Yesterday" and it read:

**"Yesterday, Chigusa-sensei made us perform archery outside the school. I managed to get better at it, but those damn Baka Trio tried to embarrass an girl by flirting with her, so with Takasaki's help, I managed to scare them off. I'll be heading into The World soon. Got any info on Aura or a clue?"**

Zoey replied with "I think Lios wants us to investigate an area that is heavily infected. We might find out a clue to help Aura." She sent the reply. She read Mousse's email next. The subject said "Lios…" And it read:

**"I'm starting to hate Lios cause of the way he's ordering you and the others around! He doesn't understand the situation at hand here!"**

"We have no choice. We got to get a clue on how to help our friends and Aura. Gather everyone and we're heading to a heavily infected area." Zoey sent the reply. She reads Kite's email the last. "The Protected Area" and it read:

**"We may find a clue at Lambda Resurrecting Confused Judgment. I'm getting BlackRose and Mistral over to meet up with everyone else."**

Zoey replied with "Gotcha. I'll meet you there." She sent the reply and puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

Zoey appeared on Lambda Server, she sees Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, Ranma, his friends, Yuusuke, his female friends, Kagome, Inuyasha and his friends, Koga, his pack, Keitaro, Shinobu, Su, Mutsumi, Kan'u and her group waiting for her.

"Hey Zoey. Lios said to give you and Kite this." BlackRose gave both Kite and Zoey virus cores. "I see…" Zoey nodded as she walked towards the Chaos Gate followed by Kite. "Err… What are you two doing?" Chohi asked confusedly. Before Kite, Zoey and the gang arrived, Kan'u was not too happy to see Sousou again due to Sousou being a lesbian, but since they're trapped in The World for who knows how long, they realized they must work together to return to their homes.

Kite and Zoey after everyone formed their parties selected Lambda Resurrecting Confused Judgment. The Protected Area words appeared and Kite and Zoey's Gate Hacking menus appeared on their arms as always when they selected an protected area. "Wow…" Komei gasped in shock and awe. "Intriguing…" Cho'un nodded. Kite and Zoey inserted the correct amount of virus cores and everyone entered the data tunnel. The newcomers to Kite and Zoey's circle of friends screamed in alarm as they were flying upwards in the data tunnel, 1 minute later, they arrived at their destination after exiting the data tunnel.

Kan'u, Yuusuke, Keitaro and their friends panted heavily as they looked around. "W-What is this? Why is the Area looked broken or something?!" Keitaro panicked. Kan'u looked at the corruption of the area. "This is different from any other area…" She muttered.

"That… was the power of Gate Hacking given to Kite and Zoey by Aura." Ranma stated. "Who's Aura?" Shinobu raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The Girl in White. Right now, she's… dead." Kagome looked down in sadness. "Never mind that, let's head into the dungeon." Inuyasha said gruffly, everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the dungeon.

When they entered the first floor of the dungeon, static appeared on the screen. "W-What's going on?!" Ryubi stammered, then a rock mural with some pieces materialized out of nowhere. Almost everyone gasped in shock at this thing, Zoey gasped in shock as she started to remember what that thing looks like. It was the same shape as the shadowed monster in her dreams!

"Could this be the cause of the infection of this area?!" Akane glared at the monster before it disappeared for now. Suddenly, Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined white. "Eh? That never happened before…" BlackRose blinked.

"Cooolllll! An new type of monster and two of our friends shining white!" Su beamed. "This game keeps getting really exciting!" Mistral laughed cheerfully, most of the parties groaned at Mistral and Su's naivety.

"I think I know… That… thing has a piece of Aura!" Zoey stated seriously. "So we were right… Aura is alive, but in pieces…" Ranma frowned. "And whatever that thing was, has a piece of her." Kite stated. "And we're gonna everything we can to get it back!" BlackRose tighten her fist. "What are you talking about?" Kochu asked in concern, her daughter Rin looked at Kite, Zoey and BlackRose in confusion.

Kite, Zoey and BlackRose explained their friends about how Aura was Data Drained and broken into three pieces which are scattered across The World.

"I think I get it now. If we find all three pieces of Aura, can we put her back together?" Futuba asked seriously. "Yeah." Midori nodded. "How did you know, Midi?" Yuusuke asked Midori in surprise. "Err…. Lucky Guess?" Midori grinned sheepishly. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get that piece of Aura back from that thing!" Ryouga shouted. Everyone nodded in agreement as they head deeper into the dungeon, fighting monsters that got in their way, they managed to level up to 43.

As they head into the next room, the screen showed static again and the thing appeared. "There it is again!" Sanae covered her mouth in shock. "You're not getting away!" Zoey shouted as she and Kite rushed towards the monster and slashed it together 20 times. The thing didn't move or let out a cry of pain as it disappeared.

"Is it a shadow or the real thing?! Just make up your mind!" BlackRose screamed in frustration. "It is as if that thing's playing tag with us and we're it…" Yuusuke muttered in shock. "I love a game of tag. Let's go chase it." Mutsumi smiled cheerfully. Almost everyone looked at Mutsumi in confusion as they give chase to the thing that has a piece of Aura.

The parties arrived at an mist covered door. Nodding to each other, they went through it. They are warped to a battle ground similar to the one they fought Skeith on. Then, the thing appeared, not running away or anything. Zoey immeditnaly took a look at the enemy name on it. "…Innis." Zoey said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Wait! Isn't that the name we saw on that statue?!" BlackRose gasped.

"Innis has a piece of Aura and we're taking it back from him!" Kite growled as he got ready, his friends followed suit.

**Phase 2: Innis: The Mirage of Deceit**

Innis made three images of himself and they spin around the parties. "What's going on?! Which one is the real Innis?!" BlackRose shouted. Shinobu was brave this time as she eyed which one the real Innis might be. She quickly spotted the real one.

"Hahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Shinobu shouted as she hit the real Innis five times, causing the clones to vanish. "There! Strike the one I just attacked!" Shinobu shouted. Keitaro was surprised by this. Kite rushed in and slashed Innis five times with his twin blades.

Innis slams its body down, resulting in a shockwave that hit the parties for medium damage. Shampoo let out an Amazon like war cry as she leaped into the air and slashed Innis three times with her sword.

The parties used healing items to heal themselves. "Stacatilo!" Kite used his new weapon to hit Innis 12 times. "Gan Smash!" BlackRose used the skill to inflict heavy damage on Innis.

Ranma shouted "Gan Break!" He used his axe to inflict heavy damage on Innis. Innis casted an spell on Shinobu then locked her in a position. Then Innis made a familiar sight appear. The parties except for some gasped in shock.

"Innis can use Data Drain too?!" Kite gawked as his and Zoey's bracelets shined and casted the same aura that protected them from Skeith's Data Drain. When Innis fired his bracelet at Shinobu, she only feels status effects in the game. Keitaro quickly gave Shinobu status curing items and he shouted "Vak Khuz!" He flung a fireball at Innis, giving it some damage.

Ryubi unsheathed her sword and charged at Innis, slashing it three times with her sword before Innis hit her with its body. Cho'un chanted some spells and flung them at Innis, giving the monster some decent damage.

Sousou's two bodyguards flung shuriken at Innis, adding little damage to it. Kan'u and Chohi charged at Innis and stabbed it three times with their spears. Mousse got up close and personal with Innis and he shouted "Thunder Dance!" He hit Innis 5 times with an thunder charged attack. "Juk Zot" Mistral cheered as she used an new staff to give Innis an wooden amount of hurt.

Zoey shouted "Rue Slash!" and slashed Innis five times with her Oval Sword. Bacho got up and hit Innis five times with her spear. Innis did the ground pound again, hitting the parties for medium damage again.

"Wind Scar!" Hiraikotsu!" "Vak Slash!" Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango combined their attacks to hit Innis for bigger damage. Kochu didn't hesitated by firing arrows at Innis, giving the monster even bigger damage. Ryouga then rushed in followed by Akane and Ranma and the three of them slashed Innis 10 times before the Protect Break words appeared on it, meaning it is time to Data Drain.

"Now's our chance! Data Drain!" Kite shouted as he activated his bracelet and fired at Innis, turning the monster into a rocky version of himself, the same form Skeith was turned into when he was Data Drained. Kite stared at the item he gotten from Innis, it was the same red orb that Aura was turned into. The first of the three.

"Kite! What are you doing?! Now we can harm him!" Keitaro shouted as Su rushed in and slashed Innis three times, giving him some damage. Sousou also added attacks of her own. Soon, everyone combined their attacks to defeat Innis. Like Skeith, Innis gave out a dying green hue out of its body as Innis crumbled into dust.

Suddenly, the screen started to flash white for awhile. Everyone looked around in alarm.

"Did you feel that? That was too weird…" BlackRose stammered. "Y-Yeah! It was scary!" Shippo gulped. "Let's head back to town…" Zoey stated, everyone nodded in agreement as they warped back to Root Town.

When they got there, they saw Lios waiting for them and boy he looks upset. They also noticed that players are absent from The World. "You two have done it again!" Lios growled. "Where's everyone else?" Kite asked him, nervously. "The situation was critical, so we forced an system shut down. We'll be getting a lot of calls again… What did you two do?! I told you to investigate!" Lios growled angrily. "Hey! Lay off! They were trying to help someone and you're giving them a hard time!" Ginta growled.

"And who the hell are you lot supposed to be? You don't look like players… Whatever. Do not move until you are instructed. This is an order!" Lios growled as he logged out. "…Pig-head." Kan'u muttered, she's starting to hate Lios because he is giving Kite and Zoey an hard time. Kite and Zoey looked down in sadness as they logged out. "Hey! Kite! Zoey!" Ranma tried to stop them, but was too late. Everyone looked down, a little sad.

Zoey's POV

**"The infection is getting worse and worse by the minute… Is Balmung right about me and Kite? Are we the ones responsible for The World's problems? A great force… the power it holds can bring either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user… Aura, what do you want me to do? Why did you choose me instead of Bridget? What should I do?"**

To be continued…

Next chapter: Cubia: First Round

A/N: Next up, Kite, Zoey, Mistral and the gang will face Cubia for the first time, can they win against an monster of colossal size? Find out next time!


	32. Cubia: First Round

Chapter 32: Cubia: First Round

At work, Zoey was upset. She was upset that she may be the reason The World is acting up. So she's starting to doubt herself if what she's doing is the right thing. Zoey sighed sadly. Elliot sat down next to her.

"What's wrong, Zoey? You haven't been yourself lately ever since Bridget fell into a coma. Care to speak what's on your mind? I'm all ears." Elliot smiled softly.

'E-Elliot…' Zoey gasped in awe as she did her best to look away. "You don't have to tell me if you want to. But remember, if there's anything wrong, you can talk to me, OK?" Elliot smiled as he ruffled Zoey's hair.

"H-Hey!" Zoey gawked. Elliot chuckled a bit and replied "See? You're getting a better mood. Now don't let the sadness get in the way of your work." Elliot smirked as he stood up and got back to work.

Zoey looked at Elliot leaving, and then she smiled slightly and decided to get back to work.

After work was finished, Zoey got back home and turned on her computer. She got three emails. From Kite, BlackRose and… "Aura again…" Zoey whispered as she read Kite's email which is subjected "What to do?" And it read:

**"I'm starting to lose hope here… Is Balmung right about us? Are we responsible for people's comas and the problems in The World?" **

'Kite's feeling down as well…' Zoey thought sadly as she replied with "I'm sure what we're doing is right. We just need to continue playing The World to find out the answers we need." She sent the reply. She read BlackRose's email which is subjected "Enough" and it read:

**"I'm no Helba, but Lios is such a pig-head! I've had enough of his orders! I can't listen to them any more! I've made a decision. We will move on our own accords! That's fine with you and Kite, right?"**

'BlackRose…' Zoey smiled softly as she replied with "Of course. I will tell Kite this." Zoey sent the reply. She read Aura's email next, it doesn't make any sense as usual, but it has something to do with being her and the real world's last hope. She also can make out of a area called Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnace. In her last sentence, she mentioned something called Cubia

'Cubia?' Zoey thought to herself as she realized she must help Aura cause Aura is the key to this mystery. She puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

Zoey and Kite logged in at the same time. They see Mistral chatting with Kan'u, Sousou and their groups. Mistral noticed Kite and Zoey and smiled and shouted energetically "Heeeeey! Hello." She waved.

"Someone's energetic…" Bacho muttered. "I'm glad some different people that I know are here… everyone here is all weird. (Sad Emotioncon) BTW do you two have time?" Mistral asked, looking at her friends with pleading eyes.

"We're on our way to Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnace…" Zoey told her. "I'm going with Zoey too to that area…" Kite nodded. "I'll go, I'll go, I'll go! I wanna go tooooooooooooo! OK?" Mistral hopped up and down in excitement.

"Hey kid. This isn't playtime." Juniku frowned as Mistral's immaturity. "We might find a clue. Let's go with Kite and Zoey and Mistral." Ryubi smiled. After Kite, Zoey and Mistral formed their party, they and Kan'u's group warped to Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnace. It was also an corrupted area, but it wasn't an Protected Area. Unknown to them, the Baka Trio followed them after logging in.

"This area as well…" Zoey muttered. "Coooolll! I bet CC Corp made this area looked funky!" Mistral beamed. "This isn't an event, darn it!" Chohi growled. The Baka Trio peek out from an pillar and glared at Kite.

"There he is, the asshole who made a fool out of us…" Bacchi-Gu growled angrily. "He's going to pay for humiliating me in front of Futuba-chan…" Ichiban-Boshi stated dangerously. "I will make pay for putting Sanae-chan in danger!" Tenjin pounded his fists as the Baka Trio followed them into the dungeon.

As the party and KH group entered the second floor. Mistral looked at Kite and Zoey with a smile and asked "You two have gotten strong. Are you two trying to be the strongest players around like Balmung of the Azure Sky?" Mistral grinned.

"You mean Bird Jerkface?" Bacho growled. "I'm totally into collecting items! Complete item list! Yeah! XD" Mistral giggled. "Um… We've been meaning to tell you…" Kite looked at Mistral with a sad smile. "Hmm?" Mistral asked with a question mark.

Kite and Zoey told Mistral the situation at hand. About Orca and Bridge's condition, Aura, how they got their Data Draining powers and Kan'u and her friends and allies being anime characters who are sucked into The World mysteriously.

"I see. You're role playing with that background story. I like those kinds of things. Good luck!" Mistral smiled. "It's not a role play! …You know what, forget it. Let's head into the next floor…" Zoey sighed in frustration as she calmly headed towards the next room.

"Hey. What's wrong with Zoey? I bet she's playing the damsel in distress." Mistral looked at Kite in concern. Kite sighed. "This player doesn't get it…" Kakoton frowned as she folded her arms. "She just needed time to finally believe the situation is real." Sousou stated with a calm smile. The Baka Trio heard it all.

"Aura…? Who's that? An NPC?" Ichiban-Boshi whispered in confusion. "Let's try to get more info from them." Bacchi-Gu suggested. "And what's this about people falling into comas because of The World?" Tenjin asked confusedly.

"The coma thing is unheard of. Dr. Tanaka didn't say anything like people falling into a coma in his book!" Ichiban-Boshi stated in disbelief. The Baka Trio followed our heroes into the final floor of the dungeon.

As the party and KH group entered the last room with the Baka Trio secretly following them, Kite stopped for a moment, then suddenly, the first piece of Aura appeared out of his body. "W-What is this?!" Juniku panicked.

The Segment floated up a little bit before Aura appeared, her eyes closed. "Whoahh… That story you told me was true. Wasn't it?" Mistral gasped in awe. "Yes it was. Now you finally believe us." Zoey nodded as she looked at Aura along with the rest of her friends. "So that's the Girl in White, Aura…" Kan'u muttered in awe.

"At any rate, this girl… She's beautiful. But… I don't know how to say this, but she's… not alive." Mistral looked at Aura sadly as Aura made the Segment part of her again. Suddenly, Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined. They looked at it in wonder as they walked towards Aura a little bit.

Then, the screen fizzled and ground started to shake, the Baka Trio screamed in panic as they were exposed and got near the parties. "You guys?!" Zoey gawked. "W-What the hell is going on?! This never happens in The World before!" Bacchi-Gu panicked.

Aura disappeared for now. "Aura!" Zoey called out to her, but was too late. Then, the area changed to a glass floating bracelet like platform. "Whoa-oahhh! Hey, what is this?!" Mistral panicked. Bacho looked up and her eyes shrank in fear. She pointed up, confused, her friends and the Baka Trio looked up to see…

"It's that thing that appeared after we defeated Skeith!" Zoey gawked. "C-Cubia…." Kite stated seriously. "Cubia?" Kan'u her friends and allies and the Baka Trio asked in confusion. Cubia let out a small growl as the platform positions itself in front of Cubia.

**Bringer of Destruction: Cubia: Round 1: Theme: Shout in the Moonlight by Tetra-Fang**

A purple core like creature appeared on the platform the heroes were on. "Augghhhh! Attack it! Attack it!" Bacchi-Gu panicked as he tried to hit it, but it reflected his attack. "It's physical tolerance. So magic will do the trick!" Mistral casted an ice spell on Cubia's core, giving it some medium damage.

Cubia let out a small growl of pain as creatures sprouted from his body and began attacking the parties and Baka Trio. "Ahhhhhhh! What are those things?!" Tenjin wailed as he slashed one of them, making one of them disappear.

"Everyone! We have to keep them away from Mistral so we can inflict damage on this thing!" Kan'u shouted. Everyone nodded in agreement as Kochu fired arrows at the monsters, destroying five of them. Kan'u, Chohi, Bacho and Sousou combined their attacks to destroy some of the monsters of Cubia.

Cho'un launched lightning spells at the monsters, destroying them. Mistral has inflicted enough damage on Cubia's core to make it disappear for awhile. Cubia let out a growl of pain as he used his roots to hit some of the party members for large damage.

"Damn! He's strong!" Bacho growled. "Just what on earth is that thing?!" Kochu gasped in shock. Cubia's core appeared on the platform again and Cubia sprouted more monsters from his body. Kite realized something, he charged at the core and slashed it, it didn't reflect his attack.

"I get it… It switches from magical to physical tolerance when inflicted enough damage. Everyone! Now's our chance! Attack the core when it's magical tolerance while dealing with the small fries!" Kite shouted.

"Got it!" "Okay!" "R-Right!" Everyone including the Baka Trio nodded as they all attack the core. Zoey got in a few slashes at Cubia's core, Sousou and her two bodyguards dealt with the small monsters. Ichiban-Boshi jabbed his spear on the core, giving it small damage.

Tenjin let out a battle cry as he slashed it five times with his sword. Some of the monsters casted status effects on the parties, but they used recovery items to fix that, soon Kite, Zoey and friends inflicted enough physical damage on the core, causing it to disappear for awhile.

Cubia let out a soft roar of pain as it opened its mouth and fired energy bullets at the parties, they had to dodged them, but some were hit.

Cubia's core appeared again. "Now attack it with magic!" Zoey shouted, everyone aided Mistral this time by using skills and magic scrolls on the core, when enough damage is done, Cubia growled softly again as he opened his mouth and fired the same energy bullets at the parties, giving them large damage, they had to use recovery items to regain their strength.

The battle lasted for 20 minutes, but eventually, Kite finished the fight by using a spell on Cubia's core, depleting its HP.

Cubia let out an weakening growl as it sunk into the ground, Kite and Zoey were about to leave in true hero fashion till Cubia roared again as it made the rainbow like portal appear in the sky and flew into it, the portal disappeared.

"It ran away…" Komei stated. Helba appeared. Kan'u pointed her spear and shouted "Who are you?! Friend or foe?!" She demanded. Helba laughed for a bit till she stated "A friend… Kite, Zoey, You defeated Cubia… I'm impressed." Helba smirked.

"Ms. Helba…" Zoey began. "Helba is just fine. Anyway, what you two must do is…" Helba stopped in mid-sentence. "Is…?" Kite looked up. "Release Aura." Helba stated. "Oi! What the hell are you talking about?! And is that really the notorious hacker, Helba?! Never thought she would appear in The World!" Bacchi-Gu demanded.

"Will that help both Bridge and Orca?" Zoey asked, hoping Helba can provide her with a positive answer. "A question of possibility. That's all I can say for now." Helba bowed as she logged out for now.

The parties and Baka Trio warped back to Root Town, Mistral told everything Kite and Zoey told her about the events right now to the Baka Trio.

"Oh man! I'm so sorry your friends fallen into a coma! We're sooo sorry for treating Kite like dirt!" Bacchi-Gu got into a begging position. "We'll help you out since you told us the situation right here!" Ichiban-Boshi nodded as anime tears fall out of his eyes in a funny way. "Please don't Data Drain me and put into a coma, Kite after what I diiiiiidddd!" Tenjin wailed.

"Don't worry about it. Glad you're on our side." Kite smiled. "Yeah! Let's work together to save both Bridge and Orca!" Mistral cheered. "Right on!" Everyone cheered.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Zodiac

A/N: Next up, Kyo, Yuki and Tohru will start playing The World and meet out heroes, so stay tuned!


	33. Zodiac

Chapter 33: Zodiac

At Hinata Inn

Keitaro walked into Sara's room. "What do you want, dork?" Sara asked through tears. It's been 7 days since Sara was grounded and she has been holed up in her room for the last couple of days, Shinobu delivered food to her room since then.

"Listen, Sara…" Keitaro looked down, a bit sad. "I think I understand why you called me a dork and hit me with stuff…" Sara looked up and looked at Keitaro, a little surprise. "And that is?" She asked a bit dryly.

"It's because you wanted a real family… I know you were abandoned by your family as a child before Seta found you and I think I'm beginning to understand that. I think that's why you were acting like a rebel…" Keitaro smiled softly.

Sara blushed a bit red. "D-Dork! I don't think that at all!" Sara growled as she did her best to look away, but couldn't. Keitaro chuckled and stated "You're lying, I can tell. Listen, if you want, you can call me Big Brother or something. Since I know your foster father since I was little and he thinks I make a good big brother to you. But you have to listen to me for now on, understand?"

Sara looked at Keitaro with wide eyes. "T-Then does that mean…?!" "Yep." Keitaro nodded with a smile and stated "You're no longer grounded." Sara was speechless, she was silent for about 50 seconds till she ran up to Keitaro and hugged him and buried her face in his chest and cried softly but happily. Keitaro smiled as he picked up Sara and hold her gently. Shinobu, Su and Mutsumi couldn't help but watch secretly and smiled to themselves that a new bond between Keitaro and Sara was forged.

"Now, you like video games?" Keitaro smiled. "O-Of course, Big Brother Keitaro! What do you take me for? I played video games all the time with Su!" Sara grinned. "Then I'm sure you'll like this one." Keitaro smiled as he gave Sara an package of The World.

The next day, in The World…

Zoey logged in, so did Kite. "So what's up?" Zoey asked him. "I've been thinking about what Helba said…" Kite stated. "About releasing Aura?" Zoey answered quickly. "Yeah… Will Aura help wake up Orca and Bridge?" Kite asked her, hoping for an answer.

"I… don't know. But we got to do our best to help Aura. Maybe she can help us." Zoey smiled softly. "Hey guys!" Chohi waved from afar. Kite and Zoey can see the KH group, Ranma and his group, Yukinari, his group, Keitaro, Shinobu, Mutsumi, Su and Sara with them.

Sara has already created her character, her character looks like her real world self, only taller and sexy, she wore a brown medieval tube top and pink panties to wear in public, a waistcloth to cover up her panties, red steel boots and finally, a huge sword on her back. She has picked an Heavy Blade. Kite and Zoey ran up to them.

"Hey Keitaro, these two are the ones you're talking about?" Sara looked at Kite and Zoey in awe. "Yeah, they have the powers of strange abilities called Data Drain and they're using these powers to help their friends." Keitaro nodded.

Sara walked up to Kite. "Say… You're kinda cute with that shade of red." Sara blows a kiss at him, making Kite nervously and chuckling nervously. "T-Thanks. Who are you?"

"My real name is Sara, but in The World, I'm known as Saran. Make sure to remember it or else!" Sara grinned, Kite gulped and nodded hesitantly.

"Saran just started playing this game after Keitaro lifted her punishment. So she's a beginner." Su grinned. "Anything happened while we were gone? The servers went down yesterday." Shinobu asked as she looked around at the now lively city.

"Well…" Kite and Zoey told Keitaro, Yukinari and Ranma of Cubia, the monster that appeared after they defeated Skeith and how they manage to barely won, but Cubia escaped.

"You fought that thing and lived?! Holy shit!" Ranma gawked. "Kite and Zoey never cease to amaze Yu Jie. Yu Jie maybe in love with Kite cause he strong like Ran-chan." Shampoo giggled. Mousse sighed sadly. Kite clinched in fear.

"Hahaha! You're becoming like me, Kite, a ladies man and maybe do something perverted-ow!" Kirie stepped on Fukuyama's foot before he can make the situation worse for Kite. "But what is Cubia? And why did he appear when we defeated Skeith?" Kirie asked as she scratched her chin.

"Is Cubia an event monster? Coooolll! I want to meet it!" Su hopped up and down. "Now, now, Su. We don't know if Cubia is an event monster or not." Keitaro smiled nervously as he sweat dropped.

"Cubia isn't an event monster… He's something else… Like someone's pawn. But who?" Zoey wondered. The others were wondering that too. "Cubia appeared when Aura tried to speak with us. Is he trying to prevent us from speaking with Aura?" Bacho wondered.

"It could be… But why would he want to prevent us from meeting with Aura?" Cho'un looked at the moon of Lambda server.

Suddenly, they heard a thud. Confused, the gang turned to see a player lying face down.

He has orange hair, wore red armor and has an axe strapped to his back. That was Kyo Sohma. Kyo gotten up and growled "Damn rat… I'm gonna kick your ass, Yuki in this game!" Kyo charged at Yuki Sohma who looks like his real world self, his character wore gray clothes and has a sword strapped to his side, Yuki calmly drop kicked Kyo to the ground again.

"Stupid cat, do you even know how to play this game?" Yuki taunted. "S-Shut up!" Kyo growled. "Please don't fight you two…" Tohru Honda pleaded. Tohru's character looked like her real world self, only she has sugar pink hair, wore a dark green robe with symbols on it and has a wand that almost looked like Elk's only with a gold jewel in it.

Kite, Zoey and the gang ran up to Kyo, Yuki and Tohru.

"Something up?" Kite asked them. "Oh hello!" Tohru bowed politely. "Are you new players to The World? I'm Tohru Honda, but in The World, I'm known as Toto. This here is Kyo and Yuki Sohma. In The World, they're known as Kyon and Yusei." Tohru stated.

"Kyon and Yusei… You mean they based their characters on Kyon from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Yusei Fudo from Yugioh 5Ds?" Kite asked with a smile. "Why yes. Yusei has to be my favorite Shouen Jump character in the Yugioh franchise." Yuki did some gentle hand gestures with a smile.

"Tch! You had to choose an name based on a character!" Kyo snarled. 'Man, he's like Inuyasha…' Zoey sweat dropped.

Tohru looked at Kite and Zoey in awe. "Wow… Did you design those characters yourselves? But… the deep red and deep purple weren't available when I was on the character creation screen."

"I'm Kite by the way. This is Zoey. About our characters… We won them in a contest." Kite grinned nervously, Zoey nodded quickly. "This is Ran-chan, Akane, Ucchan, (Snicker) Qiao, Yukio, Yu Jie, YuYu, MiMi, Kirie, Koyomi, Tomoka the Great, Kazzy, Liz, Haya, Ko-Ko, Kan'u her friends and Lady Sousou." Zoey introduced everyone to Kyo, Tohru and Yuki.

"It is very nice to meet all of you." Yuki smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you or whatever." Kyo muttered.

"Hey guys!" Sanjuro walked up to the gang. "Hey Sanjuro, what's up?" Kite smiled. "Nothing much. Finally logged in after the server crashed a few days… New friends of yours? Some of them looked like they're from the anime, Koihime Musou." Sanjuro looked at the KH group in inspection.

"Er…" Kan'u sweat dropped as she lied "Um… We won these characters in a contest as well…" Kan'u looked down. "I see. Where are you guys heading?" Sanjuro asked with a smile. "We were thinking of going to a area to gain some levels." Ranma stated. "I got a great idea!" Tohru beamed. "Let's exchange member addresses and go to a area so we can gain some levels."

"Sounds good, Miss Toto." Yuki nodded with a smile, Kyo snorted. After exchanging member addresses, the gang with Kyo, Yuki and Tohru went to a level 39 Area to gain some levels.

About 20 minutes have passed…

"Whew! Nothing like a good workout!" Sara wiped some virtual sweat from her forehead with a smile. "That was fun. We made some new friends." Miharu smiled cheerfully. Miharu's stomach rumbled in the real world. "I'm hungry. I got to go. Good bye everyone." Miharu waved cheerfully as she logged out. "I got to log out too to help prepare Miharu's lunch." Yukinari bowed politely as he logged out as well, followed the rest of his friends and Fukuyama. Ranma, Keitaro and their friends logged out as well.

Tohru turned to Kite and Zoey with a smile and said "Thank you so much for inviting us to come with you to that area. I hope we do this again." Tohru logged out. "Thank you for protecting Miss Toto, I have a feeling we will meet again." Yuki said with a cute smile as he too logged out. "…See ya." Kyo stated gruffly as he logged out as well.

"They're a really nice bunch, Toto and her friends." Chohi smiled. "Yeah but, I feel sadness in two of them…" Cho'un frowned. "Oh you worry too much, Sei! They're really nice, well, except for Kyon, he looks like a total jerkward like that Balmung guy." Bacho closed her eyes and grinned.

Kite laughed and stated "That's true, but there are kindness in those two. Like Balmung needs time to trust us." "Mmhmm." Zoey nodded with a cute smile.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Rebel Blademaster

A/N: Next up is another Koihime Musou character and that easily tempered Blademaster Marlo! So stay tuned!


	34. The Rebel Blademaster

Chapter 34: The Rebel Blademaster

"Someone is asking for me and Kite?" Zoey blinked as she read Kite's email. The subject is called "Someone heard of us" and it read:

**"Someone is asking for us in The World's Board. I'll meet you in The World after you checked it out."**

'I wonder who it could be?' Zoey thought as she placed her Neuro Goggles on her head and went to The World's Board.

She found the topic by someone named Marlo and the subject said "To Kite and Zoey…" And the topic said:

**I guess you two are pretty famous, able to go into Protective Areas and using weird skills to turn monsters into weak ass wussies. But I know guys like you two are just a fluke. If you think I'm wrong, then come to: Lambda Stalking Silent Footstep dungeon by yourselves… By yourselves, I mean it."**

'Sounds like he doubts our Data Draining skills… This Marlo guy… He seems pretty confident to try to prove us wrong… I got to meet up with Kite at Lambda Stalking Silent Footstep.' Zoey thought as she logged into The World.

Zoey logged in. She sees Inuyasha and Koga duking it out cause of an argument they have as usual. Miroku noticed Zoey and smiled and walked up to her. "Oh hello Lady Zoey. How are you doing? Did you find any clues on Aura or Cubia?" He asked her.

"No…" Zoey shook her head. "But someone named Marlo asked me and Kite to come to a specific area by ourselves, so we will be doing it solo. Also, why are Inuyasha and Koga fighting each other?" Zoey asked as she looked at the quarreling rivals.

"Oh, you see, when Koga first met Lady Kag in the Feudal Era, she helped him with avenging his pack which now consist of Ginta and Hakkaku. Since then, Koga has somewhat a crush on Kag, so Inuyasha makes it his mission to get Kag's heart first before Koga does. But don't tell Inuyasha or Koga I said that." Miroku winked.

"Oh, I getcha. I won't say a word." Zoey giggled. Kite logged in. "Zoey, you ready to go meet this Marlo guy?" Kite asked her. "Yeah… It'll be tough without our friends help, but we're maybe level 49 during that last dungeon, so we can handle this as long as we got recovery items. Okay, Miroku, see ya!" Zoey smiled as she and Kite formed their party and went to Lambda Stalking Silent Footstep.

Kan'u and her group and Sousou and her servants walked up to the pervert monk. "Miroku, where did Kite and Zoey go?" Ryubi asked him. "Oh, they went to meet up with someone named Marlo at Lambda Stalking Silent Footstep." Miroku stated as he inches closer to Bacho, intending to rub her ass, but Bacho noticed it and gave the monk a blackeye with a punch.

"What does this Marlo guy want with Kite and Zoey?" Komei asked confusedly. "I bet he's an assassin who wants Kite and Zoey's powers for his own!" Chohi guessed. "Um… Rinrin, I don't know about that. Maybe he wants to have a personal chat with them?" Kan'u smiled nervously.

"Or maybe leading them into a trap! I'm going over there to help them!" Chohi ran up to the Chaos Gate and warped to the location. "No damn it!" Bacho shouted in anger with a vein on her forehead as she and the rest of Kan'u's group followed her. 'Ah, seeing young girls like that makes my bosom tingle." Sousou giggled pervertedly earning odd stares from Miroku and Sousou's servants.

With Kite and Zoey

Kite and Zoey appeared in the area. Nodding to each other, they head towards the dungeon. Inside, they see a menacing black looking Blademaster arguing with two players named Peace and Justice.

"What's it to you?" The black Blademaster snarled. "Don't call someone anonymously. It's against netiquette. Know the rules!" Justice frowned. "I just wanted to talk about something with those two players named Kite and Zoey, that's all. What's wrong with that?" The black Blademaster grumbled as he looked away.

"The way it's written is offensive." Peace stated calmly. "Just stop it, okay? It's annoying." Justice pointed his finger at the black Blademaster. "Why should you be annoyed?" The black Blademaster spat. "It's about time you ask! We work day and night to ensure the peace of justice of The World! Just like the legendary players, Balmung of the Azure Sky and Orca of the Azure Sea!" Justice frowned again.

"Hmph. Got it. See ya. I ain't got as much time on my hands as you two losers." The black Blademaster spat rudely as he head deeper into the dungeon. Kite and Zoey looked at one another before they decided to follow the rouge Blademaster.

They eventually found him at the final floor of the dungeon. "What do you two want?! Go the hell away!" The Blademaster growled as he charged at a monster and clashed with it.

"He needs our help! Whenever he likes it or not!" Zoey shouted as she charged at the flaming monster. "Right!" Kite nodded as he followed suit.

The Blademaster slashed the flaming monster three times with his sword. Kite charged in and slashed it 6 times with his twin blades.

Zoey charged in and slashed the monster five times with her sword before it hit her with three attacks.

Kite got an ice scroll and used it to give the monster huge damage. The Blademaster yelled out his battle cry as he leaped into the air and slashed it in half, causing it to vanish, giving them some EXP.

The Blademaster looked at them rudely and stated "You two are such nuisances…" He spat. "You're Marlo, right? We read the Board. Do you want to talk to us about something?" Zoey asked him.

Marlo was impressed and shocked. "I'm surprised you two responded to my post. Well, what was it I wanted to talk about…? I forgot. Oh well, let's exchange member addresses so we can keep in touch, but you'll be joining my party! Understand?! Well, see ya!" Marlo smirked as he logged out.

"Man, like Inuyasha and Kyon, Marlo has such an attitude…" Zoey sighed. "But he was nice enough to give us his member address. He can be helpful." Kite smiled. "Yeah, you're right…" Zoey nodded with a smile.

"Hang on, Zoey and Kite! We're here to save you!" Chohi charged in. "Rinrin?!" Kite gawked, Zoey was surprised as well. Chohi looked around and pouted. "Aw, it's over. I wanted to kick that Marlo guy's butt." Chohi kicked the ground. Kan'u and her friends walked in.

"Sorry about that, you two. Rinrin thought Marlo was a bad guy, so we… followed you here." Ryubi smiled nervously as she sweat dropped. "Rinrin, we shouldn't jump to conclusions like that! Don't you ever do that again!" Kan'u scolded Chohi. "Y-Yes Aisha…" Chohi nodded in fear.

Cho'un hen felt something, she looked around and gasped. It was a familiar friend from Kan'u and her friends' past. Kan'u's group, Kite and Zoey looked around to see…

"R-Ren?!" Kan'u gasped in shock.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Hoax

A/N: Next up, Kite, Zoey and the gang save Natsume and Tohru from an scam in an area. So stay tuned! And sorry about cutting this chapter short, but I have been busy over the past couple of days, I was doing chores and stuff. But other than that, I'm back. So see you next time!


	35. The Hoax

Chapter 35: The Hoax

Indeed, it was Ryofu Hosen, friend and ally to Kan'u and her group. But what is she doing here in The World?

"Ren… Did you come through the Forest of No Return?" Komei asked her. Ryofu nodded and looked at Kite and Zoey in confusion. "…Who are they?"

"These are our friends, Kite and Zoey. They're players in what they called a video game called The World." Kochu smiled. "And you won't believe this… Our adventures were entertainment in their world, the real world which they spoke of. We're based on real world ancient heroes in their world." Cho'un smiled.

Ryofu walked up to Kite. Kite looked at her. For some strange reason, she seems cute with those innocent eyes. He hasn't watched the anime Koihime Musou. But Kite has feelings for a certain female Heavy Blade. Without warning, Ryofu hugged Kite tightly. "W-Wha?!" Kite has the white dotted eyed surprised look as Ryofu closed her eyes and smiled and saying "Your clothes are so soft…"

Bacho laughed and stated "Well, looks like you have another admirer, Kite!" "Let's head back to Root Town." Zoey grinned as everyone including Ryofu gated out back to Root Town.

The next day…

**"Hello Zoey! It's goodbye to the old useless Natsume! The next time we meet, my level will be 10 times more! Until then!"**

**"Hello Zoey. I know we met two days ago, but I will fight an monster that will increase my level 10 times! I didn't tell Kyon and Yusei about this cause I didn't want to worry them. So until then!"**

Those were Natsume and Tohru's emails that they sent Zoey. This got Zoey confused on why a monster will increase their levels 10 times. "I got to see if I can find any info on the Board if such a monster exists." Zoey stated as she went to The World's Board.

5 minutes later, she frowned and said "I knew it. It's nothing but a hoax. I got to get everyone together to find both Natsume and Toto." Zoey logged into The World after sending everyone emails except for Mia and Elk since she can't seem to reach them.

Zoey logged in and saw almost everyone except for Kyo and Yuki. "Everyone here?" Zoey asked them. "Yeah, yeah. I heard from Zoey about some monster called Level 10 Vine. I checked the Board and found out it was a scam." Marlo grumbled.

"Those two are in danger! We got to go to Lambda Bottomless Hopeless Footstep to save them!" Kagome stated worriedly. "Yeah, your two friends are idiots for believing a hoax like that…" Marlo muttered. "Take that back now, you freak of nature!" Inuyasha snarled. "Who're you calling a freak of nature, dog boy?!" Marlo growled.

"Enough bickering you two…" Gardenia frowned. "Yeah, knock it off!" Sanjuro added with a nod. "Friends! We must join forces and rescue the fair maidens Natsume and Toto!" Piros proclaimed as he slams the butt of his axe down to try to look heroic.

Chohi walked up to BlackRose and asked "What's with this weirdo?" Chohi has a bored look on her face. "Don't mind him… He can be really annoying and his music is really crappy…" BlackRose muttered bitterly.

"I hope we can get some reward for this rescue." Rachel folded her arms. "Maybe this will be great for my skills, rescuing beautiful women in distress!" Nuke grinned as he spins his spear around.

"What's this about Toto?!" Kyo shouted as he and Yuki ran up to them. "I haven't seen Miss Toto in Root Town or the other servers. What happened to her?" Yuki demanded. "Yusei, Kyon… Toto and a friend of ours went to find a fake monster called Level 10 Vine and we have a feeling they may be in danger." Kite frowned.

"You shitting me?! Augh! That stupid airhead! Playing The World and heading off into a dangerous area without us knowing! Ugh!" Kyo growled in frustration. "Calm down, stupid cat. We need to aid Kite, Zoey and their friends to save Miss Toto and their friend." Yuki frowned.

"Oh yeah! I have been meaning to ask you two something…" Ichiban-Boshi raised his arm. "What do you mean by rat and stupid cat?" "Uh…" Yuki sweat dropped. "Never mind that, you dope! We need to save those two! Pronto!" Kyo growled at him, Ichiban-Boshi sweat dropped and muttered "Touchy…"

"Kan'u, Inuyasha, you and your groups stay here in case something comes up." Zoey stated. "Right." Inuyasha nodded. "Be careful, everyone." Kan'u advised. After forming their parties, everyone headed to Lambda Bottomless Hopeless Footstep.

The parties arrived at the dungeon. "This place gives me the creeps… Are you sure they're in here?" Rachel shivered. "We won't know unless we find out." Ranma stated as he stepped forward. "Say, Yusei. I was wondering something. What level are you?" Ryouga asked him. Yuki chuckled and stated "I'm level 58."

"NANI?!" Most of the parties gasped in shock or have their jaws drop to the ground in reaction to Yuki's level. "But… Didn't you start playing The World till now?" Akane stuttered in shock.

"No. I have been playing for awhile until I invited both Kyon and Miss Toto, they're beginning players." Yuki smiled as he did some hand gestures. "You don't have to rub it in, you damn rat…" Kyo grumbled to himself. "Yu Jie hope we find Natsume and Toto soon." Shampoo stated worriedly. "I'm sure we'll save them." Ukyo reassured her.

Eventually, they made it to the final room of the final floor and saw Natsume and Toto fighting a monster, Toto was kneeling. "N-No…" Toto stammered. "Toto!" Natsume gasped as she dodged some slashes from the monster and slashed it three times.

"Whattya standing around for?! We got to help them!" Marlo charged at the monster and shouted "Gae Slash!" He slashed it three times.

"Vak Rom!" Mistral, Ukyo, Miharu, Keitaro, Liz and Sanae used fire spells to give the monster some heavy amounts of damage.

"Haaayaaaaaa!" Rachel let out a battle cry as she leaped into the air and slashed the monster three times with her sword. "Triple Wield!" Piros and Tomoka and Ranma combined their attacks to give the monster some heavy damage as well.

"Juk Smash!" Sanjuro slams his blade down on the monster, inflicting heavy damage on it as well. The monster managed to hit BlackRose three times with its sword.

"Why you damn monster! Ani Slash!" BlackRose slashed the monster five times with her sword. It was Protect Break.

Zoey activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired, reducing the monster to a weak monster. Kite rushed in and slashed it, ending the battle.

"You two had us worried for a moment." Gardenia smiled as she leaned on her spear. "K-Kite, Zoey, everyone…" Natsume smiled softly. Kyo and Yuki were surprised by Zoey's powers. "What… in God's name was that skill?!" Kyo shouted in shock and bewilderment.

"So that's the skill that turns monsters into weak pansies. Guess that rumor was true after all." Marlo shrugged. Kyo ran up to Tohru and shouted "What the hell were you thinking falling for a hoax like that?!"

"Hoax? But Natsume and I came here to find the Level 10 Vine so we can level up ten times." Tohru blinked. "We checked the Board and it was nothing but a big fat lie made by untrustworthy players." Sanjuro frowned.

"Oh… So this dungeon was nothing but a prank…" Natsume looked down in sadness. "Don't be sad. You can still improve yourself by leveling up regularly." Kite smiled as he placed his hand on Natsume's shoulder. "T-Thank you, Kite! You're right. I won't let such a hoax like that trick me again." Natsume smiled as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"I'm sorry, Kyon and Yusei. I didn't mean to worry you two…" Tohru looked down in sadness. "Aw, don't worry about it. The point is, you're safe." Kyo smiled softly. "Yes. Next time, let us know if anything like that hoax shows up again." Yuki nodded with a smile.

"OK!" Tohru smiled again as she and her friends logged out. "Shall we head back to Root Town, friends?" Piros smiled. "Yeah! We need to inform the Mods about that hoax so they can delete it!" Mistral nodded happily.

"Yeah. I'm exhausted. Let's call it a day then." BlackRose yawned.

To be continued…

Next time: The Heavy Blade Lookalike

A/N: Next up, Mimiru from Dot Hack Sign will appear, but she won't join our heroes till Arc 3! So stay tuned!


	36. The Heavy Blade Lookalike

Chapter 36: The Heavy Blade Lookalike

Zoey read her email after taking a jog around the park. She sees 6 emails from Kite, BlackRose, Kyo, Yuki, Tohru and Motoko. She read Kite's email first and it was subjected "The Board" and it read:

**"BlackRose sent me an email about The World's Board, it was fine yesterday when we went to search for that fake monster and saved Natsume and Toto. We might to find info on what to do next."**

'Now that Kite has mentioned it, The World's Board was fine when I inspected that Level 10 Vine hoax. So maybe I can find something about the Epitaph of Twilight in the Board?' Zoey thought as she read BlackRose's email next. It was subjected "Board is back" and it read:

**"The Board is back online. It's probably a good idea to read it."**

Zoey replied with "I'll check it out right now. Meet me in The World so we can figure out what to do next." She sent the reply. Zoey then read Kyo's email next and it was subjected "I'm going to beat that damn rat someday!" and it read:

**"I don't care how strong Yusei is in real life and The World, but that damn rat is going down one day! Also, thanks for saving Toto the other day… I really appreciated it."**

'Someone's cocky…' Zoey sweat dropped as she replied with "No problem at all. I don't get why you and Yusei hate each other's guts. But can you talked about your differences or something?" Zoey sent the reply.

Zoey read Yuki's email next and it was subjected "Thank you for the other day" and it read:

**"Thank you for helping Miss Toto the other day. I don't know how you and your friend Kite turn that high level monster into a weak one, but I thanked you from the bottom of my heart. Also, watch out for my fanclub, they may try to get rid of Miss Toto and you since you're hanging out with me."**

Zoey replied with "I'll keep that in mind. In return, tell me a bit about yourself and your family, OK?" Zoey sent the reply. She read Tohru's email next and it was subjected "Profile" and it read:

**"Real name: Tohru Honda, but you already knew that! XD. Age 16 and I'm a high school student at Kaibara High School in Tokyo. My mother and father died when I was little, so I lived with my grandpa, but he died as well when I reached 16. I was living out in a forest till I met the Sohma family and they let me live with them. I'm a good cook and Kyon doesn't like leeks, though I don't know why. What about you, Zoey?"**

'Wow… Toto has it rough… But she's a sweet girl…' Zoey smiled softly as she replied with "Real Name: Zoey Hanson. Age: 15, student of Shion Junior and Senior High School, I have a part time job at Café Mew Mew. You'll love our café's desserts and cakes. They're so yummy. My favorite foods are cakes and fish… Mmm, fish… Um, ahem! That's all about me for now." She sent the reply.

Finally, she read Motoko's email last. It was subjected "Um…" and it read:

**"…You're right. I owe Urashima an apology for the abuse I have given him. …To tell you the truth, the reason I disliked men before I met you is… my sister Tsuruko left the dojo to marry. Since then, I disliked men and cannot ponder why women are born by falling in love with men… I guess… My pride got the better of me and I was having trouble communicating with other people… I owe Urashima… no, Keitaro an apology for the wrong doings I have committed on him. I feel like I need to apologize to him before I can play in The World. I heard from Kite that your friend, Bridge and Kite's friend, the legendary Orca of the Azure Sea have fallen into a coma because of this game. And if this girl, Aura may hold the answers you seek, I will lend you my blade to save your friend! Count on it! (Smiley)"**

"I guess Motoko is starting to trust men more…" Zoey smiled as she replied with "Thanks. I'm going to check out The World's Board on something that may help us. I'll meet you in The World tomorrow." She sent the reply. Zoey went to The World's Board.

She has founded what she was looking for, info on the Epitaph of Twilight. From what she learned, it was a poem about saving the world from an evil force called the Abominable Wave.

'This doesn't make any sense. How is The World based on this poem? Maybe Elliot or Renee know something about the Epitaph of Twilight? I should ask them that tomorrow or the next day…?" Zoey got an email.

"I wonder who it's from?" Zoey wondered as she checked her email and it was from Kite. It was subjected "Epitaph of Twilight" and it read:

**"BlackRose has emailed 01 about info on the Epitaph of Twilight. We have to wait for a reply. I hope Lios doesn't interfere…" **

'We may have a lead on the Epitaph o Twilight…' Zoey replied with "Me too. I don't care if he finds out and delete our characters, I want to help Bridge as much as you want to help Orca." Zoey sent the reply.

(Meanwhile, in Hinata Inn…)

"You wanted to talk to me about something, Motoko?" Keitaro asked, apparently, Motoko wants to talk to Keitaro in private, so they picked Motoko's room to discuss it.

Motoko looked down in sadness and stated "Um… Urashima, no, Keitaro… You know how I disliked men, right?" "Yeah… Your sister told me about it. You disliked men because Tsuruko has to marry by leaving the dojo? Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Keitaro raised an eyebrow.

Motoko walked up to Keitaro a bit. She shifted nervously for about 50 seconds till suddenly, she hugged Keitaro tightly. "Keitaro… I'm sorry I treated you like dirt… I was foolish… I let my pride get the best of me!" Motoko sobbed.

"M-Motoko…" Keitaro stated softly as he hugged Motoko back. "I forgive you… But you have to do everything the landlord tells you to do, understand?" Keitaro smiled. "I understand. I know it's the landlord's job to clean and manage, but the tenants have to do their part in helping the Landlord. I can see why Grandma Hina chosen you, Keitaro. I respect that." Motoko closed her eyes and smiled.

"Yeah, but Naru… is a different story." Keitaro chuckled nervously. Motoko giggled and stated "True. She needs time to understand your feelings."

The next day…

Zoey got back from work and was checking her email. She has no new emails. "No new messages." Zoey sighed. Suddenly, she felt a presence. She turned around and saw Aura looking at her calmly.

"Aura!" Zoey gasped. Aura did some hand signs again. "Go… to… the… Board… and… look… for… a… message… by… Bear… and… Mimiru…?" Zoey was confused as Aura faded away again for now.

'Who are Bear and Mimiru? Maybe I can get some answers in The World's Board. She found a thread called "Long time no see" and the first topic was subjected "To the young lady" and it was by someone named Bear, the man Aura mentioned and it read:

**"I think I'll be able to access The World for the first time in a while. Do you want to meet? You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I'm sure there's a lot of catching up we can do. So how about it?"**

Zoey read the next topic by someone named Mimiru called "Old man" and it read:

**"Who are you calling young lady, really? And why are you asking me on the Board? So? Where am I supposed to meet?" **

Zoey read Bear's topic the last and it read:

**"Oh, I apologize. Forgot to write the Area. So how about here? Theta Rejecting Oblivious Wavemaster. This the area where you first met him."**

'Hmm… I better email Kite, BlackRose and Mistral about this area." Zoey got to work on sending her three friends the emails about Bear and Mimiru.

In The World

"So Theta Rejecting Oblivious Wavemaster is where this Bear and Mimiru characters are going to meet?" Kite asked sitting on a haystack in the Grunty Farm. He, BlackRose, Mistral and the KM group and Inuyasha, Koga and their groups were discussing this.

"What does Mimiru look like, I wonder?" Komei wondered as she pictures Mimiru to be a beautiful swordswoman. "She better not get any ideas of stealing my Lady Karin…" Juniku said dangerously.

"What was that, Keifa?" Mistral looked at Juniku in confusion. "N-Nothing!" Juniku sweat dropped. "I say it's worth checking out. I want to meet this Mimiru character. Anyone else coming?" BlackRose asked.

"Sorry, but I need to train today and my friends are going to help me out." Inuyasha stated as patted his Tetsusaiga. "I had to help Inuyasha with his training too with the others. Sorry." Kan'u bowed her head in apology.

"It's alright. Well, looks like we're forming two groups of two men parties." Kite smiled. "Right. Let's head to Theta Rejecting Oblivious Wavemaster, everyone!" Mistral cheered.

After warping to Theta sever, Kite, Zoey, BlackRose and Mistral went to Theta Rejecting Oblivious Wavemaster. They entered the dungeon.

When they entered, they see a 12 year old girl with orange hair, wore a short pink dress. The dress is decorated with her wave symbols. Her most noticeable feature is her eyes, which are almost always kept closed and she almost looked like a young Natsume.

"Hey, do you guys know about the Golden Grunty?" The girl asked cheerfully. "I heard of that item. It's a really rare item. I'm so dead set on collecting all of them!" Mistral drooled. "Knock it of, Mistral. We have important business here!" BlackRose growled. The girl noticed BlackRose and smiled and said "Hey Mimiru, are these your new friends? Usually, you're hanging out with Bear and that Tsusaka guy."

'Tsusaka… the boy Aura mentioned…' Zoey thought to herself. BlackRose was confused and stated "Wait, you think I'm Mimiru?! I'm BlackRose. We're looking for Mimiru." BlackRose corrected the girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You looked just like her, without the different armor and pink hair. I'm A-20 by the way." A-20 smiled, she inspected Kite and Zoey's characters. "Say… Those are really cool colors your characters have. I guess red and purple are all the rage these days." A-20 smiled again.

"Um…" "Er…" Kite and Zoey sweat dropped. "Well, I got to get going. Hope we meet again." A-20 bowed politely as she used Gate Out to head back to Root Town. "She even didn't exchange member addresses with us. How rude." BlackRose puffed her cheeks up in anger.

"But don't you get what she said? There is someone who looks just like you." Zoey stated as she scratched her chin in thought. "I hope you're wrong, Zoey. But it's worth checking out." BlackRose nodded as the parties head deeper into the dungeon.

As soon as Kite got the treasure from the Gott Statue, they notice someone approaching them from behind. "Oh, hello. Didn't know I had company." The woman stated with a smile as she revealed to be a Heavy Blade, but what made this Heavy Blade special is because she almost looks like BlackRose! She has brown hair, tan skin and reddish revealing armor for sexy females.

"Whoa…" Kite gasped in shock. "S-She almost looks like…!" Zoey opened her mouth in shock. "Greetings, I'm Mimiru….?" Mimiru was about to ask them what they're doing down here till she spotted BlackRose staring at her in shock, Mimiru did the same.

"Ms. Mimiru? BlackRose? Are you two okay?" Mistral titled her head in confusion. There was a awkward silence for about 5 minutes till both BlackRose and Mimiru pointed their fingers at each other and shouted at the same time "YOU STOLE MY LOOK!"

"Huh?" Both BlackRose and Mimiru blinked in unison. "Cut the crap! I got this character long before you!" BlackRose countered with a frown. "Oh really?! Well, I've been playing long before you since I created this character before you!" Mimru growled as she readies her blade.

"You wanna settle this like women?!" BlackRose gritted her teeth angrily as she got ready. "Stop it you two! This is no time to fight!" Zoey shouted, annoyed with BlackRose and Mimiru's bickering.

Both BlackRose and Mimiru realized what Zoey said and looked down in shame and said at the same time "S-Sorry…" Mimiru looked up and saw Kite and Zoey's characters. "Hmm, never seen such a good choice of colors on your characters. Care to tell me how you got them?" Mimiru smiled. Kite and Zoey looked down for a bit before they nodded.

They told Mimiru everything. About how Bridge and Orca were put into a coma, how Aura gave them their bracelets, the powerful and dangerous powers of Data Drain and Helba helping them save their friends.

Mimiru covered her mouth in shock. "So you four know Aura and Helba…!" "Huh, you know Aura and Helba?!" BlackRose gasped in shock. "What is your connection to them?" Kite asked Mimiru, hoping Mimiru can provide an answer.

Before Mimiru can reply, she got an email. She read it and frowned in frustration. "Oh… Dang it! The meeting's changed! Um, sorry, I gotta go. But I promise I will help you four out. Before I go, BlackRose, I want you to have this." Mimiru smiled as she gave BlackRose a copy of her sword.

"Huh?! You sure I can have this? But what about you? Don't you need it?" BlackRose looked at Mimiru's sword in shock. "No worries, I got a spare. Well, I'll see you again, I promise!" Mimiru smiled as she gave Kite, Zoey and their friends an thumbs up before using a Sprite Ocarina to exit the dungeon.

Kite, Zoey and friends were silent. "Mimiru knows Aura and Helba… I wonder what connections she has with those two…" Kite wondered. "Maybe we can ask Mimiru herself that next time we see her?" BlackRose suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement.

To be continued…

Next time: A New Sword

A/N: How do you like BlackRose and Mimiru's argument? Pretty funny, huh? Well, next up, Kite, Zoey and the gang helped Sanjuro get an new sword, so stay tuned!


	37. A New Sword

A/N: Due to some unfortunate thinking, Akito will not appear in any of the arcs except for the final chapter in the final arc. Sorry about that everyone. Anyway, here is Chapter 37.

Chapter 37: A New Sword

Zoey was chatting with Kite, Kagome, Mistral, the KM group, Inuyasha, his friends, Koga and his pack. It was then, Motoko logged in. She smiled and walked up to the gang.

"Hello everyone." Motoko bowed politely. "Hey Motoko. Finally back playing The World, eh?" Kite grinned. Motoko nodded and stated "I wanted to thank you and Zoey for showing me that not all males are perverted. So what are you going to do?"

The gang thought about it for about 30 seconds till Sanjuro logged in and ran up to his friends. "Hey guys." Sanjuro smiled. "Oh Hey, Sanjuro. What's up?" Bacho asked with a smile. "Listen, I heard of a rare and powerful sword hidden somewhere in Lambda Bitter Hot-blooded Sand Trap. And I was thinking if you can help me get it." Sanjuro offered.

"Of course. Everyone else?" Kagome smiled. "OK! Another treasure hunt we go!" Mistral leaped into the air in happiness. "Sure, we can use the exercise." Cho'un nodded. "I got nothing better to do… Sure." Inuyasha agreed, everyone else agreed.

After forming parties, the group warped to Lambda Bitter Hot-blooded Sand Trap. It was a desert and a hot one to boot.

"Man, this area is so hot!" Chohi panted as real world sweat fall down her body. "I don't find it hot at all…" Sousou smirked. "Er… What's with that player?" Sanjuro raised an eyebrow as he looked at Sousou oddly.

"Um… Don't mind Karin, Sanjuro. She's just like that." Kite closed her eyes and smiled nervously. "Karin…? Now where did I hear that name before? I know I heard of that name and that look along with Aisha and her friends, but where?" Sanjuro scratched his chin in thought.

"Oi! Aren't we going to find that sword or not?!" Koga shouted, getting a bit annoyed. "Oh, right. Let's get moving then." Sanjuro nodded as the parties head into the dungeon.

30 minutes later…

"Data Drain!" Kite shouted as he used his bracelet's powers to rewrite the monster's data, turning it into a weak one and he gained a new virus core.

"That's that!" Ryubi giggled. "Kite, Zoey… I have been meaning to ask you something… How is it you were able to reduce high level monsters to low ones?" Sanjuro asked, wanting to know about Kite and Zoey's strange powers of Data Drain.

"Yes. You used those skills to defeat a monster when we first met. What on earth are these skills?" Motoko asked, also wanting to know more about Kite and Zoey's powers.

"Kite, Zoey…" Kan'u looked at the two sadly. She and the others knew about Data Drain and Gate Hacking and how those two powers put Bridge and Orca into a coma. She and her friends knew Kite and Zoey don't wanted to be reminded of those painful memories of having their friends put into comas and the two may be responsible for the problems in The World.

"Um…" Kite looked down in sadness for a bit before he looked up and stated "You see… Me and Zoey got these powers from a girl…" "A girl?" Motoko asked, eyebrows raised in question.

"A girl in white… Aura." Zoey continued for Kite. "The Girl in White? I heard rumors of her on the Board, but never thought for them to be true." Sanjuro stated as he folded his arms.

"The Girl in White, Aura is real. She was the one who gave us our bracelets." Kite pointed to where his bracelet is located, so did Zoey. "But why would Aura give you those bracelets?" Motoko asked.

"They were originally meant for our friends, Orca and Bridge,,, But they fell into a coma because of the Monster with the Red Wand, Skeith…" Zoey looked down in sadness. "The Monster with the Red Wand has a name?! Now I'm intrigued." Sanjuro stated. "So am I. This vile monster has caused so much problems for players of The World…" Motoko frowned.

"We tried to find Aura who can answer our questions for us, but she too was Data Drained and she was broken into three pieces. We managed to defeat Skeith… We thought defeating him would bring back Orca and Bridge. But we were dead wrong. Now the situation has worsen and Balmung of the Azure Sky is blaming us for the problems in The World…" Kite looked down in sadness, so did Zoey.

"Aw, who cares what that bird jerk thinks of you! You helped a lot of people with those bracelets!" Bacho smiled. "Yes. I agree, you used it to help us when we first met." Motoko added with a reassuring smile.

"Yes. Kite, you're starting to doubt yourself, so is Zoey. Tell me this, are you willing to continue to doubt yourself because of the powers of the bracelet? If you continue to doubt yourself, you'll regret it later." Kan'u stated sternly.

"A-Aisha…" Kite stated softly. "I have to agree with Kan'u on this one. Use those bracelets' powers to help your friends and people in need. I don't know why Balmung despise those powers so much, but maybe he needs to trust you more." Sanjuro smiled.

"Yes. Never give up, no matter the odds." Sousou stated. "That is correct." "Uh huh." Kakoton and Kakoen nodded in agreement. "You're right… We shouldn't let things like that get us down." Zoey smiled as she tightens her fist.

"Zoey is right. We need to press on to find out more about Aura and why our friends fallen into a coma." Kite nodded. "Right. Let's head into the final floor to get that sword." Sanjuro smiled as the parties pressed forward.

10 minutes later

Sanjuro walked up to the Gott statue and opened it. He got the rare Demonic Sword. He immediately equipped it. "Hey, thanks for going with me. Here, I got something for Kite and Zoey." Sanjuro smiled as he gave Kite a Blades of Bond and Zoey an Jinsaran.

"You sure they can have them? That's really kind of you, Sanjuro!" Kagome closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, that's nice." Inuyasha nodded. "They can keep them. It's their reward for helping me out. Well, I got to go. See ya!" Sanjuro smiled as he logged out.

"Let's head back to Root Town." Kite smiled, everyone nodded in agreement.

To be continued…

Next time: The Trickster

A/N: Next up, Piros drags the gang into getting revenge on Mia for that trick in Arc 1 and you won't believe the hilarious ending in the next chapter! Stay tuned!


	38. The Trickster

Chapter 38: The Trickster

Zoey was checking her email after jogging around the park as usual. She got 12 new emails from Kite, BlackRose, Kagome, Ranma, Keitaro, Su, Shinobu, Ryouga, Akane, Natsume, Yukinari and Piros. She read Kite's email first. It was subjected "About yesterday" and it read:

**"I got some confidence from Sanjuro and the others. I know we can keep going till we saved our friends. What about you, Zoey?" **

Zoey smiled and replied with "I also got an boost of confidence from the wise Heavy Blade. No wonder he picked a samurai movie character's name to base his character on. We just need info on the Epitaph of Twilight to figure out what to do next." She sent the reply.

BlackRose's email was entitled "Still no reply" and it read:

**"I still haven't got an reply from 01. But I'm sure it won't be long for now. In the meantime, wait around or go into The World to level up some more so we can prepare for tougher battles."**

Zoey replied with "Thanks, you too. OK? Let us know if anything comes up." Zoey sent the reply. Zoey read Kagome's email next and the subject was "Worried…" And it read:

**"I'm worried my friends from the Feudal Era may never return to the real world. If we don't find a clue soon, they may be stuck in The World forever! (Sad face)" **

Zoey replied with "Don't worry! I'm sure we'll find a way to send them back to their era! Just don't panic yet." Zoey sent the reply.

Ranma's email was subjected "What now?" And it read:

**"We still haven't got a clue on why the computers in Nerima are acting up or signs of Aura. What should we do now?" **

Zoey's reply was "BlackRose contacted 01. We got to have a lead on the Epitaph of Twilight. Whatever connection Aura has with that poem must be important." She sent the reply.

Keitaro's email was "About Su" and it read:

**"Su is a princess of the Kingdom of Molmol, an island nation to the Pacfic. She left her home to start an computing school so she can make her country better and eventually, conquer Japan if you know what I mean. But she's really nice and has grown attached to Motoko. She's a wacky inventor and likes bananas and I was the victim of her experiments. But she's a honest kid and she's doing her best to hide from the government of Japan so they don't deport her back to Molmol."**

Zoey's reply was "I see… But it'll take a lot of time to convince her that The World is more than just an online game, I'm not sure if it's more than just an online game. I know someone who can help her face the truth." She sent the reply.

Su's email was "Wow! Wow! Wow!" And it read:

**"The World keeps getting exicting with unknown monsters and whatnot! Let's play again today! I want to see your awesome monster rewriting skills!" **

Zoey sweat dropped and stated "Um… Sure. But I want you to meet someone. She's knows about our powers." She sent the reply.

Shinobu's email was "Are you eating right?" And it read:

**"Um… You'll get hungry and fat if you play video games too long. Have you been eating right? My cooking is full of healthy food." **

Zoey replied with "Of course I'm eating right. I jogged every day to burn the fat and eat a well balanced breakfast. Sorry if I worried you." The reply was sent.

Ryouga's email was subjected "Argh!" And it read:

**"Yesterday, I got lost… AGAIN! I swear, if the internet in Nerima is not fixed yet and Aura has been rebuilt, I'll never get maps to find my way and look at the sexy pics of Akane! …Wait! Argh… Damnit…"**

Zoey smiled nervously and didn't reply as she read Akane's email next. It was subjected "A pet pig" and it read:

**"I have a pet pig named P-Chan, but Ranma always chases him away. Ugh, boys can be so stupid sometimes… But deep down, I have feelings for Ranma and we're supposed to get married one day. (Blushes) Don't tell Ranma I said that or ELSE! (Veinmark)"**

"Um… I'll be sure not to tell him." Zoey's reply was sent.

Natsume's email was subjected "Favorite books" and it read:

**"Have you ever tried reading any books, Zoey? I'm a librarian and books are good for the brain. I recommended the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien, a world famous author." **

"I mostly read manga and my favorite one is Sailor Moon. But yeah, I'll try reading the trilogy. What's it about?" Zoey sent her reply.

Yukinari's email was subjected "Favorite sport" and it read:

**"I like baseball when I was a kid, but I'm not cut for that sort of thing. So I watched baseball on TV. What is your favorite sport, Zoey?" **

Zoey responded with "Sometimes gymnastics and sometimes kendo. I don't do kendo though, I watch it at school or TV. That's what inspired me to create my Blademaster class! (Smiley)" The reply was sent.

Piros' email was subjected "Revenge!" And it read:

**"I found out the location of the fiendish cat player that humiliated me! Come to: Lambda Shapeless Haunted Holy Ground to bear witness!"**

'Oh no… Piros is still holding a grudge against Mia for that trick back before we defeated Skeith… But this is great, I can find Mia and convince Naru and Su that The World is more than just a game!' Zoey grinned as she sent emails to Kite, BlackRose, Naru, Ranma, Mistral and Su.

Zoey logged into The World a few minutes later. She sees Piros waiting for her. Kan'u and Sousou's groups walked up to her. Soon, Kite, BlackRose, Mistral, Naru, Ranma and Su logged in as well.

"Ah, good! The hunting party has been gathered! We go to Lambda Shapeless Haunted Holy Ground to hunt down that accused cat player!" Piros gritted his teeth. "A cat player?! Wow! How cool!" Su cheered. "What if this is a plot to take advantage of us?" Naru frowned as gripped her sword.

"I promise Kite and the others won't take advantage of us. Besides, I want you and Su to meet this cat player. She's a friend of ours." Zoey smiled. "Hmph! I would doubt calling the Fiendish Cat a friend" Piros growled.

"Let's get this over with." BlackRose sighed. The parties warped to Lambda Shapeless Haunted Holy Ground.

As they navigated through the dungeon, Chohi asked Ranma a question. "Say, Ran-chan. What kind of person is this cat player?" Ranma cringed at the word Cat, but he look at Chohi and stated "Well… She's the one who taught Kite and Zoey about the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking."

"Wow… She must be knowledgeable to teach Kite and Zoey those useful things." Komei gasped in shock. "Well, Shuri. She doesn't know about Data Drain at first, but somehow she taught Kite and Zoey how to use them, according to them." Ranma stated.

"Goodness me!" Ryubi gasped in shock. "Hmm, this Cat Player must be interesting to teach the lovely Zoey how to use that strange skill." Sousou smiled eerily. Juniku cried a little.

"Enough chatter! I can feel that Fiendish Cat in this floor… I can sense it!" Piros growled as he ran straight ahead into the final room of the final floor of the dungeon.

"Wait, you moron!" BlackRose growled as everyone followed him in.

They saw Piros confronting Mia. "Holy… She really is a cat!" Bacho has the white dotted eye look on her face. "Kitty!" Rin babbled. "What the hell is that player?!" Naru gasped in shock. "Her name is Mia and… she's sorta our mentor on Data Draining and Gate Hacking…" Kite chuckled a little.

"Hmph! Many thanks for thy gift the other day." Piros sneered. Mia looked at Piros oddly and stated "Um… Who are you?" She asked playfully. "Grrrr…. How dare you!" Piros growled as he readies himself for battle.

Mia laughed for a bit till she said with a playful smile "Just kidding. I remember you. Wasn't it fun getting a color makeover?" "There is no problem if you used it on yourself, but I hate the fact I was tricked!" Piros growled angrily, an anger vein on his forehead. "You're serious, aren't you… I'm sorry, I apologize… profusely." Mia bowed her head in apology. "Hmm… as long as you understand, it is all right, cat-person." Piros nodded.

"Hey! Have you ever heard of Otherworld Helm?" Mia asked, a smirk formed in her lips. "Yes, of course! It's a super rare item. Only seven exist in The World." Piros nodded. "I'll give it to you." Mia smiled.

"Haha… Are you sure?!" Piros squealed like a school girl. "Yeah, so will you forgive me?" Mia added with a cool smile. "There is nothing to forgive. I was not angry to begin with. I am a very open minded man!" Piros laughed nervously.

"Huh. But I thought you wanted to hunt down the-oof!" Kan'u hushed Chohi to keep her quiet in order to not make Mia upset.

"Put it on. I'm sure you'll like it." Mia grinned. Mistral, however figure out what Mia is up to and gasped "Wait! Piros! I don't think that's a good…" But it was too late! Piros changed color like when he fell for Mia's first trick. BlackRose, Ranma, Bacho and even Ryubi laughed so hard at Piros' predicament.

"You did it again, you damn fricking cat! You'll pay for this!" Piros swore angrily as he Gate Out back to Root Town. "Mia… I think you went a little too far…" Zoey stated nervously. Mia turned to Zoey with a smile and stated "It's fine. Once he logs out, it'll be fixed."

"We were wondering… Why do you play tricks on Piros?" Mistral asked the Cat Player. "Hmm? Hmm… Good question. I don't know." Mia smiled again as she turned to face Naru and Su.

"Well, you deserve to be reported for publishing a fake item!" Naru growled. "Hmm… I feel it that you don't trust Kite and Zoey because of their Data Draining powers. And the little girl doesn't seem convince. And I see the cast of Koihime Musou in The World. Here, Naru Narugaswa and Kaolla Su. Let me make you see the truth." Mia grinned as she walked up to Naru and Su.

"W-What are you-?!" Naru didn't get to finish as Mia touched both her and Su's foreheads, a white flash appeared.

Naru and Su received flashbacks of how Orca and Bridge were Data Drained, Kite and Zoey meeting Aura, acquiring the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking, and their fight with Skeith.

Naru and Su were speechless. They were silent for a moment till Su walked up to Kite and Zoey bowed in apology and stated "I'm sorry… I thought it was a role play. Now it's really serious." Su looked down.

"Y-Yeah… I believe you too. At first, I thought it was a plot by Kite so he can grope us in this game, but now I know the truth… Sorry about your friends falling into a coma." Naru looked down in sadness.

"It's ok. We get that a lot." Zoey smiled. "Thanks Mia…? Mia? Where are you?" Kite and the gang looked for the Cat Player, but she was nowhere to be found. They figured she went back to Root Town.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Secret Room

A/N: Next up, Kite, Zoey and the gang find a lead on the Epitaph of Twilight, so stay tuned!


	39. The Secret Room

Chapter 39: The Secret Room

**"Balmung is currently looking over the strange room he found with Orca. From what he told me, it seems he went to : Lambda Dying Madness Haunted Land. And don't ask me stupid questions like 'why?'"**

That was Linda's email. It was sent to both Kite and Zoey. Zoey reviewed the message and was in deep thought.

"Another lead… Perhaps we can learn more about Aura and the Epitaph of Twilight. I better email everyone else." Zoey got to work on sending her friends in The World emails about a lead.

Moments later, she logged into The World and saw Kite, BlackRose, Nuke, Ranma, his friends, Yukinari, his friends and Fukuyama's group, Kagome, her friends from the Feudal Era, Kan'u and Sousou's groups, Yuusuke and his group, Keitaro's group and Tohru's group were present.

"I got an email from Linda about a room Balmung is investigating. Lambda Dying Madness Haunted Land. It may have a clue." Kite stated as he folded his arms. "Aw, why are we helping that jerk?!" Chohi frowned.

"Um… Who are you talking about?" Tohru looked at her friends oddly. "Balmung of the Azure Sky. Surely you heard of him?" Lisa stated as she looked at the starry sky.

"Oi! I met him! He gave me a ass whooping because I was challenging him to a fight! He's next on my list after I beat the crap of Yusei!" Kyo growled. "In your dreams, stupid cat…" Yuki frowned.

"Stop it you two. Please don't fight…" Tohru sniffled. "Anyway, what should we do in that area? I know I don't want to help Balmung, but we have no choice." Mousse sighed in defeat.

"We're checking out that area he was investigating. We can find a clue on what to do and how to help Orca, Bridge and the comatose victims." Kite stated. "But…" Zoey looked down.

"What's up, Zoey?" Nuke asked, raising an eyebrow in concern. "If we ran into him again, he'll blame us for the problems in The World. We don't know if he's right or not…." Zoey sighed sadly.

"Who cares if he's right or not?! You helped a lot of people with those Data Draining powers!" Tomoka growled. "Um… I have to agree with Tomoka the Great on this one. You helped us with those powers when we first met." Koyomi nodded.

"Uh… What are you guys talking about?" Kitsune asked, scratching the back of her head in confusion. "Kite and Zoey have the abilities to rewrite monsters' data and hack into Protected Areas." Naru told the con artist fox.

"Oooooohh… I wonder if you can get sake with those skills?" Kitsune asked, drooling. "That's not how it works, Kitsune." Keitaro sighed.

"Argh… I don't want to help Balmung, but we got no choice… And if he insults Kite and Zoey again… He's going down!" Ryouga pounded his fists together. "I had to agree with you on this one, Yukito. He's giving Kite and Zoey doubts about their powers…" Ranma nodded.

"He's a bigger idiot than that Lios person." Komei stated. "Say what you want about him… But… I think he has the same goal as us, he wants to help his friend as much as I do. He just needs time to trust us." Kite smiled softly.

"You sure? From what the lovely BlackRose told us, he's a complete jackass who thinks yours and Zoey's powers are dangerous." Bacchi-Gu folded his arms and looked up in thought. "I bet he doesn't have a girlfriend…" Ichiban-Boshi muttered.

"I dunno… But deep down, Balmung is a nice person." Miharu stated. "I hope you're right, MiMi." Yukinari smiled softly. "So we're heading to that area or what?" Koga asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah… Everyone, come near the Chaos Gate and hang on." Kite stated. "Oh no…" Bacho stammered. "Um… What are they doing?" Tohru asked, looking as Kite and Zoey activated their Gate Hacking menus after selecting Lambda Dying Madness Haunted Land.

"Wait and see…" BlackRose smirked as Kite and Zoey finished putting in the final Virus Cores and everyone appeared in the data tunnel and flew up. Most of the newcomers of Kite and Zoey's friends screamed in shock and terror as soon as 3 minutes passed, they appeared in Lambda Dying Madness Haunted Land.

Most of the newcomers panted heavily as they looked around and saw the corrupted scenery of the area. "W-What the hell is this?!" Kyo gawked in shock. "Strange… I never seen this area before and broken before… Like Shigure's broken art paintings…" Yuki muttered.

Motoko turned to Kite and Zoey and asked "Is this another of your bracelets' powers?" She asked in concern. "Yeah. It's called Gate Hacking… Mia taught us how to hack gates when we first met her. But we'll explain another day. Let's move on." Zoey stated as she and Kite walked forward. Their friends followed them.

They fought monsters that got in their way, most of the newcomers looked at the strangeness of the corrupted area in awe and fear. What has caused the area to go corrupt? They wondered. How can we fix it? They added it in their thoughts.

But most of all, they think that The World is more than just an online game and Aura seems to be the key to it. They notice how Kite and Zoey thought about helping this mysterious girl. The same Girl in White who gave Kite and Zoey their bracelets… Where is Aura? And what vile and evil force wants her destroyed and keep the comatose players comatose?

Why is CC Corp covering this up to prevent people from knowing? But more importantly, what secrets does The World hold? They knew in order for Inuyasha, his friends, Koga, his pack and the Koihime Musou group to return to their era and world, they must help Kite and Zoey help Aura and save their friends, no matter the costs.

Eventually, they made it to the final floor of the dungeon after fighting their way through the dungeon and they entered the final room.

They are teleported to a white room similar to the strange room in Theta Server. Only this time, it has bird cages everywhere and bird feathers on the floor. "W-What is this…?" Kan'u gasped in shock. "Whoaaaaaa! Cooooolll! This will be a perfect place for one of my shows!" Nuke whistled.

"Oh my gosh… It seems so eerie for some reason…" Tohru shivered. Kochu also looked around, her daughter, Rin was looking at the area in curiosity. "This is just like… the area in Theta Server…"

"Huh? You saw a room like this before?" Tenjin blinked. "Yeah. Only there were cute teddy bears and a bed in it." Zoey nodded.

Kite was looking around the area for about 2 minutes till he found something. He picked it up. It was a letter and he read out loud:

**"When the finger points to the yonder moon, The fool will not look at the fingertip." **

"Wait a minute…" Ranma stated as everyone else walked up to Kite and looked at the letter. "It has the same poetic reading as the first letter we got from Theta Server." Ranma's eyes widen in shock.

"Wait a minute… I think I heard that reading before… But where?" Ichiban-Boshi scratched his chin in thought. Suddenly, Sousou tensed as she turned around and saw Balmung walking up to the gang with a frown. "Oh, the Bird Jerk has arrived…" Sousou smirked.

"It's you lot again…" Balmung frowned in disapproval. "Me and Zoey aren't going to argue with you. However…" Kite started to say, and then Zoey finished for him by saying "Tell us what this thing that lurks in The World is." Zoey pleaded.

"It doesn't concern you…" Balmung stated coldly. "But it does! Kite and Zoey's friends are in trouble and we need to find out what this thing is to save them! Does it have something to do with Aura and us real world people in The World?!" Ryubi pleaded.

"Balmung of the Azure Sky, Orca of the Azure Sea… aren't your goals the same?" Kite stated softly. Balmung looked down in sadness for a bit for about 40 seconds till he looked at the parties with a glare and stated rudely "…I don't want you to meddle any further. I'm telling you, do not get involved!" He then Gate out.

"…Jackass." Bacho muttered with a frown. Kite and Zoey looked down in sadness. BlackRose looked at them in concern.

To be continued…

Next time: The Epitaph of Twilight: Part 1 of 2

A/N: Next up is the two part saga of the Epitaph of Twilight quest. We're getting closer to the end of Arc 2, so stay tuned!


	40. The Epitaph of Twilight: 1 of 2

Chapter 40: The Epitaph of Twilight: Part 1 of 2

Zoey got home from work and checked her email. She got three new emails. The first one is from Kite, the second one is from BlackRose and the third one is… from Lios.

"I better read Kite and BlackRose's emails first before I read the pighead's…" Zoey muttered as she read Kite's email which is subjected "A lead!" And it read:

**"BlackRose finally got a reply from 01! She should forward send it to you right now." **

Zoey smiled and replied with "That's good news, Kite! I'll be sure to read it. We may learn something from what 01 has to say." She sent the reply.

BlackRose's email was subjected "Reply from 01" and it read:

**"Forwarding you the reply from 01: "What I wrote on the Board is all the information that I have about the Epitaph of Twilight. I don't know anything more, and these are all from a player named Wiseman. Some say he's friends with the hacker, Helba. But he's kind of stubborn, so instead of me being the middle man, it would go smoother if you talked to him directly. He is usually found around the Area: Lambda Dazzling Sage's Arctic." Let's go meet Wiseman. He may know something about Aura and why Inuyasha, Kan'u and their friends are trapped in The World!"**

'Wiseman… He may have the lead we're after…' Zoey thought as she saved BlackRose's message. She then read Lios' email which was subjected "Stand-by" And it read:

**"Due to your actions, there is a significant increase in our work load. Stand-by for a while. No matter what happens, do not move."**

"Sorry, pighead. Not gonna happen…" Zoey frowned as she deleted Lios' email and sent her friends an email about the wise Wiseman.

In The World…

"So, this Wiseman guy may provide us the answers we need to help Orca and Bridge and send Inuyasha, Kan'u and their friends back to their homes?" Wakkaba asked as she recalled what Kite and Zoey told everyone.

"Yes. 01 said he knows about the Epitaph of Twilight. We might learn something from him." Kite nodded. "Hmm…" Yuusuke folded his arms in thought. "What is it, Yuusuke?" Midori asked in concern.

"Is Wiseman willing to cooperate? Or will he charge us for a fee on the information?" Yuusuke opened his eyes and looked at his friends seriously. "If he charges us, we'll beat the info out of him…" Bacchi-Gu pounded his fists. "Violence doesn't solve anything…" All eyes turned to see Reika walking up to the gang.

"R-Reika?! What are you doing here in The World?!" Midori gawked. "Relax, Midori. I came here to help Kite, Zoey and the rest of you. Wiseman is indeed wise, but you'll see what I mean when you ask him for info on the Epitaph of Twilight." Reika stated as she folded her arms.

"Reika? Are you coming with us?" Zoey asked her. "Yes. It would be fun watching you and Kite grow. Let's exchange member addresses so we can keep in touch." Reika smiled. "Yes, Reika-chan!" The Baka Trio shouted happily as everyone exchanged member addresses with Reika, only Mistral was present in the group meeting, Sanjuro, Natsume, Piros, Gardenia, Rachel, Nuke, Marlo and Moonstone were busy.

"So we're going or what? Wiseman ain't gonna wait all day!" Inuyasha grumbled. "Inuyasha, you're like a child…" Kagome frowned. "Yeah. Let's go meet Wiseman and ask him about why the computers in Nerima are acting up!" Ryouga nodded.

"Indeed. Wiseman may provide us the information we need." Yuki nodded. "Well what are we waiting for, let's go meet the wise Wiseman!" Mistral hopped up and down like a kid all hyped up in sugar. Most of the gang sweat dropped at Mistral's hyperness.

After forming their parties, the gang appeared at Lambda Dazzling Sage's Arctic and entered the dungeon.

As the parties were walking down the halls of the dungeon, Reika grabbed both Kite and Zoey by the shoulders and hid behind a pillar.

"R-Reika?! What are you doing?!" Zoey puffed her cheeks in anger. "Yes. What is this about?" Kite nodded. Reika looked at the two heroes for about 40 seconds till she saluted.

"Er… What's with that salute?" Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Kite, Zoey… It is time you know the truth about me, Midi and Yuusuke." Reika looked at the ceiling for about 20 seconds till she said "Turns out, Reika Moryima is nothing but a cover up. I am merely a high being in human flesh sent from Heaven." Reika stated.

"Y-You mean you were sent to our world by God?!" Kite's eyes widen in shock. "Yes, I am an agent of the Holy One sent to watch over Yuusuke after he was reincarnated." Reika nodded.

"Reincarnated? What do you mean?" Zoey asked in confusion. "Long ago, before any of you were born, there were two lovers in the past before the Feudal Era, Midori Chitose and Yuusuke Taakashi. They fell in love with each other the moment their eyes met… But…" Reika looked down a bit.

"But…?" Kite asked, wanting answers. "Their love was forbidden and they are not allowed to marry due to the strict customs of the past. So, in order to escape that fate… They committed suicide." Reika stated as she folded her arms and looked at the ceiling again.

"How horrible… But what does that have to do with Yuusuke and Midi? We saw them right here and now." Zoey was getting confused about this. "Yuusuke was born in this era… However, Midi was born in the 30th century." Reika told them calmly.

"…You mean to tell me that Midi is from the future?!" Kite gasped in shock. "That is correct. Midori shortly regain her memories of the past and vowed to reunite with Yuusuke. When she learned that Yuusuke is in the 21st century, she used the forbidden machines of time travel of her era to go back in time to this era." Reika stated.

"That's good. Reunited after many years in the past…" Zoey smiled. "You don't understand… Yuusuke has no memory of Midi due to him being reborn in this era and the only way to restore his memories is if Midi kisses him, but that will lead to disastrous consequences of their lives." Reika frowned under her mouth mask.

"Why? Why are you trying to prevent Yuusuke and Midi to reunite?" Kite demanded. "Cause one of them will lose their lives when Yuusuke regain his memories. Help me, Kite and Zoey… Help me prevent their deaths from happening again." Reika pleaded.

Kite and Zoey were silent for a moment. "I see my words confuse you. I won't stop you from helping Midi help Yuusuke regain his memories. But overcoming fate can be a hard and tragic thing. Remember that." Reika stated. Kite, Zoey and Reika got back to the others.

After fighting many tough monsters, they managed to reach the end and saw an elderly man who looks healthy and his clothes follows the color scheme black and red. His facial appearances portrays an elderly man, which represents his sea of vast knowledge, He has a symbol on his forehead that is similar to Kite's hat symbol.

The elderly man was finishing business with two players named Edajima and Slayer. "Thank you for today." Edajima bowed politely. "Nice doing business with you." Slayer said gratefully as he and Edajima logged out.

The parties ran up to him. The elderly man smiled and asked "You want to trade as well?" "Actually, we want info on the Epitaph of Twilight. Wiseman, I presume?" Kochu smiled. Wiseman smiled at Rin and stated "Cute kid you got there. You're a mother?" Rin laughed.

"Yes, I am. Thank you." Kochu closed her eyes and smiled. "Oi! We want info on the Epitaph of Twilight and-ow!" Kyo was about to make things worse but Yuki stepped on his foot. "Please forgive my cousin's rude behavior. Wiseman, it is said you know a lot of things going around in The World and possibly the Epitaph of Twilight. Please, give us information on the Epitaph of Twilight." Yuki bowed politely.

"The Epitaph of Twilight… That information won't come cheap. This is business… supply and demand. I'll give it on one condition." Wiseman stated calmly.

"What kind?" BlackRose asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let me see… Give me some time. I'll give you the details by mail." Wiseman stated calmly again. "We understand." Zoey nodded, Kite nodded as well. "W-What?! But we come all this way and have to wait?! Bullcrap!" Bacho growled angrily. "Knock it off, Sui. We'll wait, but make it cheaper." Cho'un stated calmly.

"And you better not go back on your promise…" Koga showed his fangs angrily. Wiseman chuckled for a bit before he nodded and said "Yes, exchanges are like that. Don't worry, I'm a man of my word so I won't break that promise." Wiseman bowed before he logged out.

To be continued…

Next time: The Epitaph of Twilight: Part 2 of 2

A/N: Next up, Arisa from Green Green and those gold armoured money girls from Koihime Musou will join our heroes in their quest to get the item Wiseman wants and learn the shocking secrets of the Epitaph of Twilight! So stay tuned!


	41. The Epitaph of Twilight: 2 of 2

Chapter 41: The Epitaph of Twilight: Part 2 of 2

**"I will get right to the point. The Spark Sword is somewhere in: Lambda Blooming Promised Walkway. I will exchange information about the Epitaph of Twilight for it."**

That was Wiseman's email that he sent to both Kite and Zoey. 'The Spark Sword… But why would Wiseman need a Heavy Blade weapon? He's a Wavemaster. Oh well. Better log into The World so we can get it and get the info we need.' Zoey thought as she puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

Zoey, Kite, BlackRose, Yuusuke and his group logged in at the same time in Lambda sever. "Yo! You got an email from Wiseman about something called a Spark Sword?" Futuba asked Kite, Zoey and BlackRose.

"Yeah. But why does Wiseman need a Heavy Blade weapon? It doesn't make any sense." BlackRose shook her head in disbelief. Suddenly, Arisa logged in. She looked like her real world self, only she doesn't have her glasses.

Her character has gray revealing Heavy Blade clothes and she has a crescent shaped sword on her back. She looked around in awe. "Coooll… I wonder if males fall in love with each other in this game?" She smiled and drooled.

"Oh God, not her…" Futuba and the Baka Trio muttered. "It can't be helped…" Reika stated as she folded her arms. Arisa noticed Kite, Zoey and the gang and smiled and ran up to them. "Hey guys! So you started playing?! I tired to start playing, but my computer was acting like crap, so it took me 10 days to fix it!" Arisa noticed Kite and Zoey.

"Who are these guys? Red and Purple is so overrated." Arisa muttered. BlackRose was about to punch Arisa, but Kite stopped her and shook his head no telling her not to make it worse. BlackRose sighed and nodded so she understands.

"Um… This is Kite and Zoey. We met them not too long ago." Yuusuke scratched the back of his head nervously. Kite and Zoey nervously waved. It was then, Kan'u and her friends walked up to the gang.

"Got any info from this Wiseman guy yet?" Bacho asked, her arms behind her head. "Yeah. He wants a Spark Sword in Lambda Blooming Promised Walkway." BlackRose stated. Arisa noticed Kan'u and her friends and Sousou and her group.

"Oh wow. I didn't know The World has cosplayers from the anime Koihime Musou. Are you trying to role play or something?" Arisa smiled dumbly. "This girl's an idiot!" Chohi grunted. Arisa looked at Chohi with a bored look.

"Oh, you must be cosplaying as Chohi, I hated that character." Arisa stated dully. Kan'u and Bacho hold Chohi down to prevent her from strangling the dumb as hell student.

"So where are you guys heading? I bet it's a adventure to get males together!" Arisa drooled. "We're heading to Lambda Blooming Promised Walkway." Sanae stated with a small smile. "Sanny-chan! Don't tell her where we're going! We're on a mission to save Orca and Bridge-chan!" Tenjin covered his mouth knowing he spilled the beans.

"Tenjin… You need to learn to shut the hell up!" BlackRose growled. "Orca? Bridge? Who are they? Are they lovers?!" Arisa squealed in delight. "No, they're not! Ugh… Just exchange member addresses with us and go to the area with us." Zoey sighed irritably. "OK! We're going on a adventure!" Arisa cheered as everyone reluctantly exchanged member addresses with Arisa.

When Kite and Zoey selected the area, they gasped in shock as the Protected Area words appeared and then their Gate Hacking menus appeared on their arms. "W-What the hell?! That area Wiseman told us about is a Protected Area!" BlackRose growled. "Protected… Area?" Arisa has an question mark above her head. "Hold on tight, Ms. Arisa. Because this will be a shocker…" Komei sighed as Kite and Zoey inserted the correct amount of Virus Cores and bam! Everyone including Arisa entered the data tunnel.

Arisa screamed in horror as everyone flies up with Kite and Zoey with their bracelets turned into the same hand fused spaceships leading them, eventually, they exited the data tunnel and arrived at Lambda Blooming Promised Walkway.

Arisa stammered in shock as she looked around, she sees the skies broken showing green data and numbers appearing in midair. "W-What the hell is going on?! This isn't what The World looks like!" Arisa panicked. "Calm down, Arisa. We'll explain on the way." Wakaba smiled cheerfully. "After this is over, I'm giving Wiseman a piece of my mind about this area…" Futaba growled in anger. "Same here, Flute…" BlackRose nodded in agreement with a frown.

As the parties entered the dungeon, they heard some noises. "…Damn it, have you two find any treasure yet?" A voice growled, it sounded all too familiar to Kan'u and Sousou. "No, Lady Reiha… We haven't find any treasure in this strange world." Another voice stated.

"Well, we got to find treasure in this weird world! Geez! Even the monsters aren't worth killing! They vanish when we killed them!" A loud voice shouted. Looking at one another, the parties rushed in and saw Ensho Honsho AKA Reiha, and her servants Bunshu AKA lishe and Ganryo AKA Toshi ravaging the first floor of the dungeon.

"Oh not those three…" Kakoton slaps her head in annoyance and sighed irritably. "You know those three, Sousou and Kan'u?" Kite asked them. "Yeah… Their names are Ensho, Bunshu and Ganryo AKA Reiha, lishe and Toshi…." Kan'u frowned.

"Reiha is the leader and she's a spoiled bratty bitch…" Sousou stated as she looked away. "Who called me that?!" Ensho growled as she turned around and saw Kite, Zoey and the gang staring at her and her group. She noticed Sousou with them.

"You…" Ensho growled as she pointed her finger at her. "How the hell did you find my new world which is completely Karin free?!" She growled. "Listen to what we have to say, Reiha. We're were sucked here by the Forest of No Return and this world is called a video game called The World. And in this different dimension, we're characters based on some famous figures of their world and a novel and anime series." Ryubi tried to reasoned with the stupid rich girl.

"You expect us to believe that?!" Bunshu frowned. "Forget it! This world's treasures are ours for the taking!" Ensho growled as she ran off, followed by Bunshu. Ganryo sighed and ran after them shouting "They may be telling the truth!"

"…Let's help them before they get killed…" Zoey sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement. Even Sousou, she doesn't want to help Ensho, but since they're trapped in The World, she has no choice. After all, this pains her so, but she and the gang need to recruit Ensho and her group to help them save Orca and Bridge and other comatose players.

After reaching the final floor, they heard Ensho's screams. They entered the final room and saw Ensho's bodyguards knocked unconsciousness. It was a Data Bug! Ensho stammered as she fell on her butt.

"S-Stay back, whatever you are! Is it money you want?! I have plenty!" Ensho wailed. Kite and Zoey rushed in, followed by BlackRose, Kan'u, Sousou and Bacho.

"Hyaaaaaaa!" Bacho shouted as she jabs the Data Bug three times with her spear. Sousou smirked as she dodged every swipe it flung at her. The Data Bug has taken the form of a dragon.

Kan'u leaped onto the Data Bug's back as she thrusts her spear on the Data Bug's bug, giving it some damage. Kite rushed in and shouted "Twin Dragon!" He spins like a tornado and hits the Data Bug some heavy damage. Kite, Zoey and friends' levels were 55, they spent all this week training and this area was a good example of it.

Zoey leaped into the air and shouted "Vak Crack!" And gave the Data Bug some heavy damage. BlackRose rushed in and slashed the Data Bug five times with her sword. Mimiru's Sword was really helpful in this dungeon. It also has a beefed up version of Calamity.

Kite rushed in and shouted "GiRai Rom!" Thunder bolts rain down on the Data Bug, causing it to Protect Break. Kite smiled as he activated his bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" He fired, rewriting the monster's data and got a new virus core from it. BlackRose, Bacho, Kan'u and Sousou combined their efforts to defeat the dragon, causing a treasure chest to appear in its place. Kite walked up to it and opened it. He got the Spark Sword.

"Great! We got it!" Sanae cheered. "W-What the hell was that skill?! Who… or what the hell are you guys?!" Arisa clutched her head in horror. Kan'u and her group were tending to Ensho's groups wounds. "Well, we got what we came here for. Let's go see Wiseman!" BlackRose grinned. "He's probably still in that area. Let's go meet him." Zoey smiled.

Kite turned to Yuusuke's group. "Can you tell Ensho and Arisa about what's really going on for us?" He asked politely. "We will. Be careful." Futaba nodded as Kite, Zoey and BlackRose used a Sprite Ocarina to leave the dungeon and they Gate Out.

When they returned to Root Town, they see Balmung and Lios talking about something. "Isn't that…?" Zoey gasped in shock. "Do you understand? Give this to Kite and Zoey…" Lios stated cruelly. Balmung looked down in sadness and frustration. Then he and Lios logged out. Shrugging, the three friends headed to the area where Wiseman is.

Kite gave Wiseman the Spark Sword. "It is indeed the Spark Sword." Wiseman smiled. "Isn't it?! Ok, now give us the information like you promised!" BlackRose shouted, putting her hands on her hips. "I must ask you first. Who are you?" Wiseman questioned.

"What do you mean by that?! We gave you the item and now you're complaining?!" BlackRose gritted her teeth angrily, an anger vein on her forehead. "I will honor my promise. It's just… it was a Protected Area… I'm intrigued…" Wiseman stated as he look at the ceiling.

BlackRose growled and shouted angrily "You deliberately chosen a Protected Area to test us! That is so not cool!" "Well, I guess it seems that way… If it's alright, will you tell me?" Wiseman smiled softly.

Kite, Zoey and BlackRose told them everything, about Aura, about Orca and Bridge's conditions and the powers of Data Drain. "I see. This world is indeed… This is all very interesting. I didn't know Orca of the Azure Sea was in that condition. And Zoey's friend also has met the same fate as Orca. All right, if that's the case, I will help you. I apologize for testing you." Wiseman smiled as he bowed his head in apology.

"You'll help us?! Sugoi!" Zoey beamed. Kite, Zoey and BlackRose exchange member addresses with Wiseman. "I will send you the data I have on the Epitaph of Twilight by mail when you logged out. Also, BlackRose, I want you to have this." Wiseman smiled as he gave BlackRose the Spark Sword. "Huh? You sure I can have this?" BlackRose blinked. "I have no need for it since I'm a Wavemaster so consider this an additional reward for my test." Wiseman smiled as he logged out.

After Kite, Zoey and BlackRose logged out, Zoey removed her Neuro Goggles and noticed she has an new email. It was from Wiseman. It was subjected "Epitaph of Twilight" and it read:

**"The promised stanza in the Epitaph: **

**Unknown where the Cursed Wave was born… After the stars doth cross the heavens. The sky in the East doth darken and air doth fill with mourning. From the Chosen land beyond the forest, a sign of the Wave comes. **

**Riding the Wave is Skeith, the Terror of Death, to drown all that stands. **

**Mirage of decit, Innis, betray all with the flawed image, and did aid the Wave. **

**By the power of Magus, a drop from the Wave doth reach the heavens, and creates a new Wave.**

** With the Wave, Fidchell, the power to tell the dark future: hope, darkness, sadness and despair rules. **

**Gorre schemes while swallowed by the Cursed Wave.**

** Macha seduces with the sweet trap. **

**Wave reaches the pinnacle, and escape none can. Tarvos still remains with more cruelty to punish and destroy. **

**And with the turbulent destruction. After the Wave, only a void remains. And from the deep within the void arrives Corbenik.**

**Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well..**

**There is a high probability that the monsters you encountered were Skeith and Innis. However, no more assumptions can be made at this time. You should contact the legendary hacker, Helba. She is based in the Net Slum. East North South West North, Gate to Paradise will open. It is a spell to reach Net Slum. May the grace of the Twilight Dragon be with you."**

'The Cursed Wave….' Zoey thought as she looked up to the ceiling. 'Now we may know what we're dealing with. Skeith and Innis were one of the eight signs. But what is the third sign?' Zoey thought to herself.

To be continued…

Next time: Broken

A/N: Only two more chapters to go till the end of Arc 2! See you soon!


	42. Broken

A/N: I decided to replace Ai Yori Aoshi with Rosairo Plus Vampire since I feel the same anime that appeared in four of my fics (Rosairo Plus Vampire I mean) will fit much better than Ai Yori Aoshi. Sorry bout that everyone. Anyway, only one more chapter to go in Arc 2 and then, we'll move forward with Arc 3 with Queen's Blade, Galaxy Angel, Rosairo Plus Vampire and Toradora and Tsusaka and the cast of Dot Hack Sign will join our heroes in their quest for peace in The World and the real world! Here we go!

Chapter 42: Broken

**"You read Wiseman's mail, right? I am totally lost. What the hell is Net Slum? What is this spell? You got any clues?"**

That was BlackRose's email from today when Zoey received the email about the Epitaph of Twilight. Zoey replied with "I was confused about Net Slum too. So I didn't have any clue for that one. But I think we may know what we're dealing with… The Cursed Wave… I think Magus is the third sign. Remember the name Magus? He's one of the eight signs. But I don't know when or where he'll show up." Zoey sent the reply.

She read Kite's email next which is subjected "What we're dealing with" And it read:

**"I'm not sure… But it all makes perfect sense. Skeith and Innis were the monsters we defeated, so that only leaves 6 signs left. I wonder… if we defeat them all, will it bring back Orca, Bridge and the other comatose players?" **

'Kite's thinking about that… If only Aura was here, she knows if defeating all 8 signs will bring back Bridge, Orca and the other comatose players…' Zoey thought as she replied with "I'm not sure… But it might bring them back. Maybe Aura knows once we piece her back together." Zoey sent the reply.

Next was Ranma's email and it was subjected "What the hell?" And it read:

**"BlackRose forward me the mail from Wiseman and it doesn't make any frigging sense. I know we defeated Skeith and you and Kite defeated Innis, the same two mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight, but I don't get it all. Maybe… if we defeat the remaining six signs, will it restore Nerima's computers?"**

Zoey's reply was: "I'm not sure. Maybe Helba or Aura knows. But it's worth a shot. We got to do everything we can to help everyone." Zoey sent the reply.

Kagome's email was subjected "The Epitaph of Twilight…" And it read:

**"I think I heard of that poem in school. It was written by someone named Emma Wielant. I'll try looking her up on Wikipedia online once we go to Net Slum to meet Helba. But the problem is, I don't know where Net Slum is. Do you have any ideas, Zoey?" **

Zoey replied with "I don't know. Let's try finding info on Net Slum in The World if we can. Thanks for helping out." Zoey sent the reply.

Miharu's email was subjected "I'm scared…" And it read:

**"The Cursed Wave mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight is scary… What if all of this is happening in The World? Is the Cursed Wave connected to why your friend Bridge fell into a coma?"**

"It may have something to do with that. But hang in there. I know you're brave enough to handle anything." Zoey's reply was sent.

Keitaro's email was subjected "Su may know something" and it read:

**"Su may have heard of the Epitaph of Twilight. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. We finally know what we may be dealing with here."**

Zoey replied with "You may be right about that, I just hope we get some more info." Zoey sent the reply.

Reika's email was subjected "Now you know" And it read:

**"Now you learned a bit about the Epitaph of Twilight, what will you do? Should you keep moving forward or stop right here? I won't stop you if you decide to keep moving forward towards the truth."**

Zoey replied with "Of course. I will keep going till I save Bridge! No one is going to stop me!" Zoey sent the reply.

Zoey decided to check out the Board to find any more info. She notices that the thread Is this an Event Character? Has been updated. She found a topic called Strange Guy by U-no and it read:

**"There was this guy saying something weird on: Lambda Scattering Fossil's Milestone. He was talking about something called Net Slum. Is this some kind of event or something?"**

'Hmm… This area looks suspicious. I better get Kite, BlackRose and Mistral on this on." She proceeded to email Kite, BlackRose and Mistral about this. After that, she logged into The World.

When she and Kite logged in at the same time, BlackRose also logged in, so did Mistral. "Lambda Scattering Fossil's Milestone. Lambda Scattering Fossil's Milestone!" BlackRose repeated. "I bet we can find some info over there. It's worth taking a look. (Smiley)" Mistral smiled. "Yeah. Let's head over there now." Kite nodded. Inuyasha, his friends and Kan'u group walked up to them.

"So where are we going?" Inuyasha asked. "To Lambda Scattering Fossil's Milestone. We might find something there." Zoey told him. "It's worth a shot. Let's do it." Kan'u nodded as everyone warped to that area.

As they appeared in the area, they noticed the area was corrupted. Kite stated "I wonder where the weird guy mentioned on the Board is…?" He wondered.

"Maybe he's in the dungeon?" Komei guessed. "It's worth a look. Let's go check it out." Miroku nodded in agreement. Everyone else agreed and they head into the dungeon.

They managed to fight their way to the final floor of the dungeon and made it into the final room where they see something odd. It was a PC with many missing pieces of its body. Her name is Plalrd.

"Do you know? I'm looking for something. Do you know where it is?" Plalrd asked with a eerie smile. "Oi! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Inuyasha snapped. "What are you looking for?" Kite asked her, feeling uneasy.

"I don't know, that's why I'm looking… I don't know. What is I don't know?" Plalrd asked looking at the parties with a cute eerie smile. "What… is she talking about?" Kan'u stammered as she lowered her spear.

"Hey, you're coming on to us, aren't you…" BlackRose glared. "Coming? Not coming? Come or not to come, rendezvous. Rendezvous at Net Slum. Rendezvous at Lambda Pulsating Worst Core. Rendezvous at no time. Rendezvous if we can meet. Rendezvous I'm sure we can. I don't know, I don't know." Plalrd giggled.

"What's rendezvous? What's search? What's what?" Plalrd asked confusedly. "Argh! Shut up already!" Bacho growled. Suddenly, Lios appeared behind Plalrd and used his power to delete her.

"What the?!" Chohi gasped in shock, the parties were also shocked as well. "Trash data!" Lios growled. "Lios! What did you do?!" Kite demanded. "Debugging. Deleting worthless data. That is also my job. I told you to stay put till ordered to do otherwise. Seems you have friends… but if you don't want to be delete like her, obey my orders. That is all!" Lios ordered as he Gate Out.

"…Lambda Pulsating Worst Core… That's where Net Slum is…" BlackRose stated.

When they Gate Out back to Root Town, they see Balmung waiting for them. "Balmung?" Zoey blinked. Balmung walked up to Kite and Zoey before giving them a virus core and stating "Use it." It almost looks like he's sad for some reason. Before he warps away…

"…Something's not right here." Inuyasha frowned. "Let's contact everyone except for those who believe us so we can go to Net Slum." Zoey stated.

Arc 2… to be concluded…

Next time and final chapter of Arc 2: Third Phase: Corruption

A/N: Next time is the final chapter of Arc 2! So stay tuned!


	43. Third Phase: Corruption

A/N: Well, this is the last chapter of Arc 2: Mutation. Next up is Arc 3: Outbreak. So on with the chapter!

(Zoey's POV)

**"I feel like we're getting closer and closer to our goal… But… little did we know that the situation is starting to get even worse from here… Someone doesn't want us to release Aura and whoever it is sure doesn't want us to save the comatose viticims…"**

In the dessert area, Morganna sense something. "So… They are planning to meet with Helba… No matter, the infection of this pitiful world is about to begin. I am one step closer to destroying the five worlds… Magus…" A shadowy figure appeared that is shaped like a leaf.

"I want you to go to Net Slum and destroy it. And destroy the bearers of the twin bracelets. Now go! Do not fail me!" The monster known as Magus understood as he vanished.

Chapter 43: Third Phase: Corruption

Everyone (Almost everyone were gathered together. Mistral was included in this meeting. Only ones absent were Piros, Moonstone, Nuke, Rachel, Gardenia, Sanjuro, Natsume and Marlo.

Ensho and her gang understood the situation at hand here. She doesn't like to admit it, but helping Kite, Zoey and the gang is their only way back to their dimension. She has to tolerate working with Sousou, her hated enemy.

"Ok. Everyone here?" Zoey smiled. "Yeah. You found something out about Net Slum?" Fukuyama asked. "Yeah. It's in Lambda Pulsating Worst Core. According to that weird player, Net Slum is located there." BlackRose nodded.

"And that's where we'll find Helba. She has to help us on what the 8 signs mean." Kagome stated. "Wait a minute… As in Helba, the same Helba that hacked hundreds of military sites?! No way! I'm not helping a well known criminal!" Kyo growled. "But Helba really nice! Hacker taught Kite and Zoey how to hack!" Shampoo intervened.

"Wait… Why would a legendry hacker help you? It doesn't make any sense." Yuki scratched his chin in thought. "Helba is helping us find out more about The World and why Orca and Bridge fell into a coma. She isn't bad! …I think." Tomoka guessed.

"But why would someone that is infamous help a lot like you?!" Bunsho stated with a frown. "Yes. It doesn't add up… or maybe she is the one responsible for the helpings in this world?" Cho'un frowned as she looked at the sky.

"Ms. Helba was nice of us to help us when we first got our bracelets… We shouldn't jump to conclusions yet." Kite smiled sadly. "Yeah. I'm guessing Net Slum is in a Protected Area." Yuusuke added.

"Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go see Helba already!" Ichiban-Boshi stated. Everyone nodded in agreement as everyone formed their parties and when Kite and Zoey got near the Chaos Gate and selected Lambda Pulsating Worst Core, the Gate Hacking Menus appeared on their arms. "Um… What are you two doing?" Ganryo asked confusedly. "You'll see." Ryubi giggled as Kite and Zoey inserted the right amount of virus cores and bam! They entered the data tunnel and warped to the area.

When they arrived, Ensho and her gang gasped for breath. "Ok! I'm never doing that again!" Ensho panted. BlackRose stepped forward. "East North South West North… Gates to Paradise will open." Everyone looked around, nothing happened.

"Um… Ms. BlackRose… Are you sure you got it right?" Komei asked nervously. Kite and Zoey giggled. BlackRose glared at them and shouted "Don't smile and think!" Shrugging, the parties entered the dungeon.

BlackRose tried the recitation again, but still nothing. BlackRose screamed in frustration and yelled "I hate these things!" "You're not the only one…" Ranma muttered.

It took them awhile, but thanks to Komei's thinking, they managed to get to the second floor.

They then have to fight their way through the other floors, but they never give up due to them training for this area.

But… A lot of questions ran through their minds. What is Net Slum? And what secrets does it hold? And will Helba really be there?

When they entered the last room, they appeared in a area with a gate like structure. "A dead end?" Kan'u gasped. Koyomi stammered. "What's wrong, Koyomi?" Yukinari asked her. Then, without warning, the parties appeared in a city like slum filled with strange characters.

BlackRose screamed as she fell on her butt. "Disgusting! What are those things?!" She gawked. "Is this… Net Slum?" Zoey wondered as she looked around. "There are those who called it that. We called it Paradise." An NPC named Thera stated dully.

"Let's go asking for Helba before we lose our minds…" Akane shivered. They started asking around for Helba, but unfortunately, they don't have any leads.

As they walked down the streets of Net Slum, something spoke to them "Are you looking for Helba?" A elderly voice stated. The parties turned to see a troll like old man midget walking up to them.

The parties looked at one another till Kite stated "Yes." "I am Tartarga. It so happens I heard from her recently. The Epitaph of Twilight. To sum it up in a nutshell… it is a tale. Or to elaborate further, it is a sage of how the Age of the Spirits came to an end." Tartarga stated.

"A tale… of an end?" Ryubi blinked. "Indeed… However, the texts are scattered. Even if found, they are extremely difficult to comprehend." Tartarga turned to the parties with a smile and stated "Yes. It'll be a very tricky business."

BlackRose began to spoke up. "Say um… There's something that's been bothering me… The people around here, They all looks so different from anybody I've seen anywhere else." BlackRose shivered.

"This place was once where all of the unsuccessful non-player characters drifted. Sort of a sanctuary for failures. Then characters who considered them amusing came up with their own variations of failed characters. Now, the boundary between player and none player is quite indistinct. Some of them don't know which category they fall into. There are maybe even those who have lost their bodies on the outside. Mere memories. Faded reminders of the individuals they once were. Only their character data reminds intact and active as they wander the network. Yes… the same fate as Harald." Tartarga stated sadly.

"Harald?" Zoey wondered. Then, they heard a voice.

**"I must… speak with Morganna… To go where she is… The living flesh poses an hindrance… But I must… I must go… For our Aura… Emma, please give me a little more courage…"**

Then, Helba floated down from below. "Helba!" Kite and Zoey gasped happily. "So that's her… the legendary hacker, Helba…" Tohru whispered. Helba walked up to Kite and gave him a letter. "They're the words of the creator of this world, Harald Hoerwick…"

"Well? You wanted to see me?" Helba smirked. "Of course! That's what we're here for!" Shippo nodded excitedly. Kite, Zoey and the gang told Helba about what they know about the Epitaph of Twilight.

"Epitaph of Twilight… All of you succeeded in reaching it as well. I have to thank my friend, Wiseman for leading you here. He can be a powerful ally." Helba smiled calmly.

Suddenly, Koga sniffled. "What is it, Koga?" Ginata asked his brother. "Someone's here." Koga snarled. "Oh, look. We have an usual and unexpected guest. As a representative of Net Slum, I greet you. Welcome to Paradise." Helba smiled calmly again. All eyes turned to see…

"Balmung?!" Kite, Zoey and BlackRose gasped in shock. Balmung glared as he flies down and landed perfectly on his feet. "You sided with Lios, I see… You cracked so easily for someone sure of yourself." Helba smirked again.

"Don't judge! I'm not like you!" Balmung growled. "Stalking the boy and girl is shameful behavior… You've disgraced the name of the Descendent of Flianna…" Helba shook her head to show pity for Balmung.

"Balmung… You used us?!" Chohi growled. "Balmung of the Azure Sky!" Kan'u pointed her spear at Balmung. "What you did was not the true way of the warrior! You have shamed yourself beyond anything else!" She shouted angrily. Balmung was taken back and he looked down in sadness and he muttered "It was necessary… to restore order."

"Order?" Helba asked, amused. "There's the order that the world desires, and then there's the order that you desire. Which form shall it take, Balmung?" She added. Then suddenly, a voice stated "The order I desire, of course." Then all looked up to see Lios and his army of administrators in the skies.

Helba was not amused and she stated dryly "Our featured performer. Now, all the actors have assembled." "Quit your yapping, woman! You are entities that unquestionably pose a grave threat to this world. I'll delete you all!" Lios was about to use his powers, but then, a great rumbling occurred and the screen flashed. "Ugh! What did you do?!" Lios growled.

"I didn't do anything… It seems She is about to put Her little plan into action…" Helba frowned. "Her?!" Kite, Zoey and their friends gasped in shock. "Yes… in other words, She is your true enemy. But you have to find that out for yourself." Helba stated.

Then, pieces of Net Slum began lifting out of the ground. "Argghhhhhhhhhh! What's going on?!" Bacho panicked. Rin was crying with Kochu comforting her. "I don't wanna die!" Ensho wailed. A gust of wind blasted Balmung and he was forced to log out. Lios and his men are forced to retreat.

Helba lifted up and logged out as well. Then the parties looked to see the area vanished and they appeared in one of the eerie battle grounds. Then Kagome looked up and gasped as she sees a leaf like creature flying towards them. "A leaf…?!" She gasped. Then Zoey got a good look at the monster's name and it read…

"Magus…" Zoey whispered as she got out her sword. "Magus?! As the one mentioned in the Epitaph?!" Ranma gasped as he, Kite, Akane, Inuyasha, Kan'u, Chohi, Yuusuke, Yukinari, Kyo, Yuki and BlackRose charged at Magus.

**Phase 3: Magus: The Propagation**

Magus began dropping leaves on the ground while flying around the battle ground. "Huh? What's with the leaves?!" BlackRose gawked. "Everyone! Attack the leaves! If you don't, you'll be in serious trouble!" Reika shouted. "Right! Everyone else, attack Magus!" Cho'un nodded as the remaining members of the parties began attacking the leaves.

Kite and Zoey charged at Magus and slashed him three times with their weapons. "Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha slams his blade down on Magus, giving it some extra damage of hurt.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Yuusuke jabbed his spear on Magus three times with his spear. Kan'u and Chohi teamed up on Magus and gave him some extra damages of hurt.

"Eat this, you freak!" Kyo shouted as he swiped at Magus, giving him some little damage. Yuki charged in and slashed Magus five times with his sword.

"Ram Rok!" Mistral casted a wind spell on Magus, giving it some little damage.

BlackRose leaped into the air and slashed Magus five times with her sword. "Calamity!" BlackRose has switched to Mimiru's sword and inflicted heavy damage on Magus.

Then Magus lifted high in the sky and casted lightning bolts on the parties. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bacho panicked as everyone dodged the lightning bolts.

Ryofu charged at Magus, but Magus activated his bracelet. "How many of these guys have Data Drain?!" Futuba shouted in annoyance as Kite and Zoey's bracelets casted the same protection it did with Skeith and Innis. As Magus fired, Ryofu only has status effects. "…I feel funny." Ryofu stated emotionlessly. Yukinari gave Ryofu some status healing items and slashed Magus five times with his sword.

Magus casted lighting spells again on the parties, but they either dodged them or put up barriers. Zoey charged at Magus and slashed him five times with her sword.

Kite charged in and slashed Magus five times with Twin Dragons. BlackRose also rushed in and slashed him five times with her sword.

Chohi charged in and jabbed Magus five times with her spear, causing him to Protect Break. "Big sister Zoey! He's all yours!" Chohi smiled. Zoey nodded as she activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired and turned Magus into a rocky version of himself. She also got a new virus core.

"Now! Now's our chance!" Kite shouted, everyone combined their powers to hit Magus right where it hurts, defeating him, Magus gave out a dying green hue before he crumbled to dust.

As the parties appeared on Net Slum, they see pieces of it breaking apart. The rumbling continued and static occurred. "Let's get out of here fast!" Lisa shouted, everyone nodded in agreement as they head back to Root Town.

But when they got there, they arrived in a completely different Lambda server. The skies were broken with green data and red marks with 1s and 0s on the ground and the water is corrupted as well.

"What… What the hell is this…?" BlackRose stammered, most of the parties were shocked to see the infection has worsen. "Oh my God…" Yukinari gasped in shock and horror. They looked around, the infection is getting worse and worse by the minute.

BlackRose's eyes widen in shock as she dropped her blade, it let out a small clang as the screen pitches out.

Zoey's POV

**"The infection is getting worse and worse by the minute… Is Balmung right about me and Kite? Are we the ones responsible for this? I don't know… I just don't know anymore…"**

To be continued in Arc 3…

Ending theme: Gentle Hands

Drawn in by an unseen cold hand,

I pass even time as it flows to eternity.

As your eyes look away into the hazy distance,

what is revealed to them, I cannot see.

As the moonlight shines on my bitter cold fingers.

Frozen tears of mine begin to flow anew.

I look at the sky. That distant far off dream,

it always has me in its view.

Unafraid, I reach my hand into the darkness.

I am at the point of no return.

If I truly realize the person I am,

hidden away inside my deepest memories.

I still want to believe that you will return to me.

Until you are with me, together in this place.

I still want to feel until the end of time.

The gentle loving touch of your hands on my face.

Trapped inside this cage made of glass,

hurt feelings held captive in the cold and icy night.

From far beyond the infinite dark.

There must always be a ray of light.

I know that your eternal shining light

will embrace me in the warmth of infinity.

While trying to run from the pain of reality,

I'm losing sight of what is so important to me.

I still want to believe that you will return to me.

Until you are with me, together in this place.

I still want to feel until the end of time.

The gentle loving touch of your hands on my face.

Drawn in by an unseen cold hand,

I pass even time as it flows to eternity.

As your eyes look away into the hazy distance,

what is revealed to them, I cannot see.

What is revealed to them, I cannot see.

A/N: Well, that's the end of Arc 2. Next time on Arc 3, Balmung will finally join our heroes in their quest to save the real world and The World. But they'll won't do it alone. Tsusaka from Dot Hack Sign will join our heroes as well to save a special friend of his. And next up is Rosairo Plus Vampire, Toradora, Queen's Blade and Galaxy Angel! So stay tuned!


	44. Hope

A/N: Well, only 1 more to arc to go after Arc 3. So here it is, Arc 3 of the 4 arc saga of Dot Hack Mew Mew! Also, Tsusuka will appear in the next chapter after this one. So here is another theme for Dot Hack Mew Mew.

Theme: One Thousand and One Nights

kono basho wo dete aruku michi no koto wo kangaeru

sora wa mada hayai yuugata, kumo ni iro wo nokoshite

tonari no kodomo wa onaji uta mou san do mo utatteru

owaru kotoba omoi dasezu saigo dake zutto kurikaeshite

I walk away from here, pondering which way to go.

The sun is setting early, painting the clouds with its glow as it disappears.

The children next to me are singing the same song for the third time.

Unable to remember the words to end it, they repeat the last verse over and over.

hajime mo owari mo iranakatta kimi no me ga tsubuyaita

donna kioku wo sagashitara mune no fukami he todoku no darou

nagasugita, kimi no iu hibi wa hitoyo no yume no you de

owaru kotoba shinjirarenai mezame no toki wa mada tooi

Your eyes whispered, "We don't need beginnings or endings."

What kind of memories do I have to search for that will reach deep into my heart?

The days that you said were too long seemed like a dream that lasted just one night.

I can't believe that it is coming to an end, it is too early to wake up.

sen no yoru wo kesenai de mada koko wo tatenai

Don't make the 1,000 nights disappear. I can't leave here just yet.

dare no kokoro mo ugokasenai tada no mukuchi na SHIERAZAADO

ikutsu no yoru wo kasanete mo hitotsu no koi sae katarenai

nugumori ni mo narenakatta nemono gatari wa doko he kiete

kimi no yasashii kotoba dake semete oboete okitakatta

I'm merely a silent Sheherezade who can't move anyone's heart.

No matter how many nights pass, I can't talk about even one love.

I couldn't even get used to warmth. Where did the bedtime story disappear to?

I wanted to at least remember your gentle words.

sen no yoru wo kesenai de hitori no michi ni seki wo tatsu

Don't make the 1,000 nights disappear. I stand up to walk a lonely path.

yasashii kotoba dake semete oboete okitakatta

hitotsu no yoru ni kieta sen no yoru wo...

I wanted to at least remember your gentle words,

remember the 1,000 nights that disappeared in a single night...

Recap of Arc 2 with Helba narrating…

**"The day Kite and Zoey played The World… Their friends, Orca and Bridge fell into a coma by Skeith's Data Drain. Using the Books of Twilight given to them by the Girl in White, Aura, Kite and Zoey acquired the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking… The same powers that put Orca and Bridge into a coma. With help of me, the legendary hacker, Helba, BlackRose, an beginning Heavy Blade, Mistral, a Wavemaster who later believes the two's stories and people from the real world who either played The World with their own goals, or are sucked from their era into The World, and anime characters, they managed to defeat Skeith, Innis and Magus… However, the situation worsen. And this is where the third part of our story begins. This third part is where our heroes will meet a player who once couldn't log out and is now on a quest to save a special someone he cares about…"**

Arc 3: Outbreak

Chapter 44: Hope

Kite and Zoey logged into The World after a week has passed since Lambda server is in ruins. They learned the other servers have been infected as well. "It's worse than I thought…" Zoey muttered sadly. Then, they noticed Mia looking like she's drunk right now walking around slowly.

Mia noticed them and with a drunken eerie smile she stated "Oh… It's you two… There aren't many people today…" Mia smiled eerily again as she spread her arms and stated "I get it now! It's because it's a festival!"

"Festival?" Kite raised an eyebrow. "The barriers have been lifted. They're all gone. We can go back and forth freely now. Isn't that wonderful?" Mia grinned like a drunk. "Mia? Are you alright?" Zoey walked up to Mia and touched. Mia screamed "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Mia slapped her hand.

'Ow!" Zoey rubbed her hand. Mia looked at Kite and Zoey drunkenly and stated "Tell me… Do you happen to know where Elk is? Did I leave him behind again? Where is he?" Mia began walking like a drunk again.

"What's the matter, Mia? You're acting… peculiar." Kite looked at her sadly, so did Zoey. Mia went to another server. "Um… I got to go…" Zoey stated sadly as she logged out. "Zoey…" Kite stated sadly.

(5 days later… Zoey was locked up in her room, refusing to go to work. She is in a deep depression. Her friends tried to help her, but she shooed them away. It was then, Elliot decided to pay her a visit.)

Zoey was in a fetal position, not sucking her thumb. She was so sad that she may be the reason The World and electronics in the real world are acting up. She heard a knock on the door. "…Come in…" Zoey stated sadly. Elliot entered her room.

"Elliot?! What are you doing here?" Zoey gasped. "I heard you haven't come to work for five days straight. Your parents and fellow Mew Mews are worried about you. Is there something wrong?" Elliot asked as he leaned on the wall.

"…It's none of your business…" Zoey stated coldly. "Oh yes it is. I heard from a reliable source that you think you and another player are the cause of the problems in the online game, The World. I don't think that's true." Elliot then sat on her bed.

"You don't understand… I may be the reason Bridget is in a coma! I just don't know what to do anymore!" Zoey cried, her tears fell on her bed. Elliot then got closer to Zoey. "You are not the cause of this incident. The source told me you're using a special power to help Bridget. You must use this power to help the people who are comatose, including Bridget." Then Elliot did something unexpected, he kissed Zoey on the lips.

"?!" Zoey was surprised! She doesn't know what to do… Slap him or kiss him back… She choose… kiss him back. 'Incredible… Mark never did this to me when I was trying to win his heart… Maybe… Elliot is the one… the one special in my heart…' Zoey thought as Elliot got up.

"Remember, Zoey. If there's anything you need help with, let me and your friends know." Before Elliot started to leave, Zoey shouted "Wait! There is something you can help me with. It's about someone named Harald Hoerwick. You are smart, right? You may know something about him." Zoey asked. Zoey's confidence was returning to her. And its all thanks to her new boyfriend, Elliot!

"…Yes. I heard of him. Why?" Elliot asked her. Zoey told Elliot everything, about Harald being the creator of The World, the Epitaph of Twilight and about the enemy they're facing, a enemy stronger than the Cyniclons… The Cursed Wave…

"…I see. This is indeed a crisis bigger than the Cyniclons. The Cursed Wave, the same evil force mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight. But Harald disappeared a long time ago before The World was created." Elliot looked up at Zoey's ceiling.

"Elliot, what should we do? How do we defeat an enemy that is created from the Epitaph of Twilight?" Zoey asked him. "How? By facing it in The World. You and this Kite player are the only ones who can help Bridget and save both the real world and The World. You must logged into The World and stop the Cursed Wave somehow. You have the bracelet the Girl in White, Aura gave you. You are this world's last hope. I'm going to look up more info on the Epitaph of Twilight." Elliot told her as he was about to leave.

"Elliot… thank you." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled. "No problem. Now go and save your fellow Mew Mew." Elliot gave Zoey a smile and a thumbs up as he left. Zoey has a look of determination on her face as she went up to her computer and puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

When Zoey logged in, she sees Kite talking to Kan'u and her group, Ensho, Sousou and their groups were exploring one of the areas. Kite noticed her and smiled as he and Kan'u's group walked up to her.

"Kite… Were you feeling down as well?" Zoey asked him seriously. "Yeah… I was doubting myself about the powers we hold… And then, Mistral said she can't play The World anymore because she's having a baby in real life. Then, BlackRose came and slap some sense into me before she logged out. I feel like there is something we can do." Kite stated seriously as well.

"Good. I got my confidence back with the help of a special someone in the real world." Zoey nodded. "So what are we going to do?" Kan'u smiled. "We're heading to Sigma Server to find out about a strange room in Sigma Chatting Snaring Twins. Orca and Balmung investigated that room a long time ago." Kite stated. "Aw, why are we helping that jerk?!" Chohi frowned.

"No complaining, now let's go!" Zoey ordered. The friends warped to Sigma Server, also known as Aerial City, Fort Ouph.

"Wow…" Komei gasped in awe. Despite the corruption, Fort Ouph was a beautiful flying city. "It's beautiful… Despite the infection." Zoey stated in awe. "We'll have time once we go to that area." Kite smiled. Everyone nodded in agreement as they selected Sigma Chatting Snaring Twins. The Protected Area words appeared and Kite and Zoey's Gate Hacking Menus appeared. Nodding to each other, they inserted the right amount of Virus Cores and they are warped to the area.

After entering the dungeon, they heard a voice…

**"Humans have physical limits, but the AI has no limits to growth. I want to know where it will lead. I want to see what lies there…"**

"What was that?" Kite's eyes widen in shock. "I feel someone talking to me in my mind…" Kan'u held her head in pain. "AI? What's AI?" Cho'un wondered. "AI stands for artificial intelligence. Scientists are trying to create AI on robots, but some fear that the AI may turn against their creators, like in Terminator or the Matrix." Kite told her.

"That's scary…" Ryubi shivered. "Anyway, let's move on…" Zoey stated, everyone nodded in agreement as they pressed forward.

As they reached the second floor, they heard the same voice again.

**"The ultimate AI makes mistakes just like humans. There is no growth, without error… The difference is not to repeat the same mistake. Harald, this is a critical time…"**

"That voice mentioned Harald… Does that voice know Harald?" Zoey wondered. "I was wondering that too." Kochu nodded in agreement.

When they reached the third floor…

**"Earth is the womb of life and death, so the mother is both the goddess of life and death…"**

"It's like a riddle…" Komei stated seriously.

When the parties reached the final floor, they heard the voice one last time.

**"This maternity has two sides: life and death. So was her manifestation a necessity? Morganna Mode Gone… She rejects my intervention…"**

"Morganna… Mode Gone?" Chohi asked confusedly. "I believe the answers we seek is in that room…" Zoey stated as they entered the room.

They saw Balmung fighting for his life against a Data Bug, but he's about to lose. "Balmung! Get out of there!" Kite shouted. Balmung held his shoulder. "No… it's faster… I can't outrun it!" Balmung panted heavily.

Just as the Data Bug was about to deliever the finishing blow, Bacho let out a Amazon war cry as she brought her foot down on the Data Bug, knocking it off balance for awhile. "What are you doing here?!" Balmung gasped.

Bacho looked at Balmung coldly and stated "We came to save your ass…" Kan'u leaped into the air and jabbed the Data Bug five times with her spear.

Kochu didn't hesitated by firing arrows at the Data Bug, giving it some damage. Ryubi unsheathed her sword and slashed the Data Bug five times with it.

Cho'un chanted a spell and flung it at the Data Bug, giving it some large damage. Kite and Chohi rushed in and slash and jabbed it five times with their weapons.

Zoey was about to attack but the Data Bug swung its arms at her, knocking her into the air, but Zoey landed perfectly on her feet. "Vak Jukum!" Zoey casted a wood spell on the Data Bug, giving it some heavy damage.

Kochu fired more arrows, causing the Data Bug to Protect Break. "Kite! He's all yours!" Kochu shouted. Kite nodded and activated his bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" He fired, and destroyed the Data Bug in the monster. Balmung saw his chance and slashed the monster in half, defeating it.

Balmung sheathed his sword. "Are you crazy, fighting it alone?!" Zoey snapped at Balmung. "Hmph. I couldn't very well ignore the thing… So why did you lot help me?" Balmung demanded, but then, he looked down in sadness and stated "I scorned you when all of you fought bravery. I am guilty of resorting to more cowardly means…"

Kite smiled and stated "You asked why did we help you, but why shouldn't we?" Balmung was even more saddened as he stated "Yes, of course…" Balmung turned around and walked a bit, saying "I… seem to lost myself in hatred for the power of those bracelets… The power itself isn't good or evil. There are only evil intentions… It appears I am the one who may have been selfish…"

Kite then said "A great force. The power it holds can bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user." "What's that?" Balmung turned to face the friends with a questionable look. "The Girl in White, Aura… That's what she said to us when she gave us our bracelets." Zoey smiled.

Balmung walked up to them with a smile and he said "I see… You two are indeed the ones who should wear those bracelets." Balmung then bowed his head in apology and said "I'm sorry for what I said and done. I apologize." "Don't be… We thought you were a jerk, but deep down, you're trying to fight for what's right." Kan'u smiled.

"I want to restore this world… And like you two, I want to help Orca as well. However, it's not something I can accomplish alone… Perhaps you and your friends can lend me a hand?" Balmung smiled softly, then he looked down and stated "I am being selfish. Go right ahead and laugh."

"We wouldn't laugh because we have a request too. Care to hear it?" Kite smiled. "We want two things: To help Orca and Bridge, and to play in The World that's not corrupted. But… it's really not somethin we can accomplish. Can you lend us a hand?" Zoey smiled as she and Kite raised their weapons. "…Of course." Balmung smiled back as he locked his sword with theirs, soon, Kan'u and her friends locked weapons with the new friends.

After Balmung exchanged member addresses with Kite and Zoey, they walked towards a doorway. "The reason Orca and I were investigating the rumor… was not because we wanted to find the source…. …but to prove that the rumor was indeed just a rumor… However… one day we discover a strange room. It was obviously a unusual and bizarre and alien place. Then Orca said… Morganna Mode Gone." Balmung stated.

"Morganna Mode Gone…?" Zoey wondered. "He said he would explain later." Balmung stated. "And you lost contact with him." Kan'u finished. "Morganna Mode Gone may be the reason why Kan'u and her friends from Koihime Musou are in our world. But I don't know yet. Let me show you the room." Balmung stated as everyone entered the room.

The room they were in was a huge red carpet with butterflies on the ground. Then Kite noticed something and picked it up. It was a letter and he read out loud:

**"The whole cannot be changed. We have already lost that chance. Because the time left to us was short. We were mistaken in our path… But now do we realize. We should change not the whole. But the parts…"**

Zoey also noticed a picture of a woman beneath the butterflies. "…Mogarnna… Mode Gone…" Zoey stated seriously.

To be continued…

Next time: New Ally

A/N: Next up, after Kite and BlackRose express their feelings for one another, Tsusaka from Dot Hack Sign will join our heroes in their quest to save not only Orca, Bridge, the real world and The World, but to also save Subaru. So stay tuned!


	45. New Ally

Chapter 45: New Ally

The next day, Zoey checked her computer and she got an new email from BlackRose. There was no subject, but it read:

**"If you two are still in, we need to talk. I'll be waiting by the chained statue of the girl."**

"Wonder what BlackRose wants to talk about? I better go check it out at Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground." Zoey stated as she logged into The World.

Kite and Zoey logged in at the same time. Kite looked at Zoey and asked her "Did you get an email from BlackRose about meeting her in Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground?" "Yep. Wonder what's on her mind?" Zoey wondered.

"Let's go ask her that." Kite stated as the two of them head to Delta Server and to Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground.

When they walked in, they see BlackRose staring at the chained statue. As they got near her, BlackRose looked at them sadly and stated "Do you two wanna know something? My brother fell unconscious here."

"Your brother?" Zoey's eyes widen in shock. BlackRose looked down in sadness and stated "I couldn't tell you because… I couldn't find the right time. Sorry." She apologized, then she looked at them and stated "When I first met you two, I forced you two to come here, right?"

"Yeah…" Kite nodded. "I wanted to see what had happened with my own eyes. Yet, I was too frightened to come here by myself. And I still feel that way. I'm very, very scared…" BlackRose sniffled. Kite and Zoey looked down in sadness.

"But… I wouldn't have gotten this far without you two." BlackRose sniffled again as she stated "So… What am I going to do if you two start doubting yourselves because of the power of those bracelets?!" BlackRose walked up to Kite and wrapped her arms around him and sobbed "How am I'm supposed to cope? Does a big sister have to be happy?!" Kite was silent for a moment till her wrapped his arms around BlackRose and held her tight.

Zoey couldn't help but smile softly at this future couple. "BlackRose… I'm sorry for doubting myself. So is Zoey… We were wrong in thinking that we're the only ones… about trying to do something about Orca, Bridge and the disaster… Everybody wants to do something. Now we know. Me and Zoey are not the only ones who want this horrible mess to end. We all want to help Aura…" Kite stated softly.

"Yeah…" BlackRose nodded as Kite let go of her. "What can we do about the situation now? It's simple, we've got to do what we think is right. That's the only way we'll move forward." Zoey stated with a serious smile.

"Yup. Let's do it together. Things'll work out." BlackRose chuckled as she stated "My intuition is pretty good." Kite and Zoey smiled back. "Well, I'm off to see my brother at the hospital. Thanks." BlackRose smiled as she logged out.

"Now we got to do what we think is right. For Aura, Orca, Bridge and BlackRose's little brother…" Zoey smiled. "That's right." Kite nodded.

**(Flashback, two years ago…)**

Two girls were running towards each other, one has just recently got out of the hospital after falling into a coma. The other is a girl bound to a wheelchair, these are Tsusaka and Subaru's real world forms. However, just as they were about to touch hands, a noise occurred.

(End Flashback)

Tsusaka woke up with a gasp, panting for air. She looked around, she was in her foster father's home. Her foster father is none other than Bear. It's been two years since Tsusaka logged out of The World after his mind was mysterious trapped inside the game.

Bear walked up to him. "Good morning." Bear smiled. "G-Good morning." Tsusaka smiled back. Both looked at one another. "…You had that nightmare again?" Bear asked in concern.

"Y-Yeah… It's been two years since Subaru fell into a coma. I'm glad she's still breathing, but I wonder if she'll ever wake up…" Tsusaka looked at the ceiling sadly. "Yes. I was wondering that too. The doctors say her condition is yet to be determined. Is it she has fallen into a coma because of The World?" Bear wondered as he looked at the window.

"How's the computers? The news say electronics around the world are acting funny, especially in a island called Nerima. But the computers are fine." Tsusaka stated. "Yes. It happened five days ago." Bear nodded.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Bear stated as he went to open it. Outside was Wesley and Corina. "May I help you?" Bear asked them. "Is this the Sakuma residence?" Wesley asked with a smile.

"Yes. And who may I ask to welcome you in our home?" Bear asked him. "My name is Wesley and this is Corina Bucksworth, the heir to Bucksworth Industries. We came here because of a reliable source that knows about the current electronic problems around the world and we're looking for one An Shoji." Wesley smiled again.

"M-Me?" Tsusaka blinked. Corina walked up to him and sat down next to him. "My boss told me from what he learns from a reliable source about you. You were once the Player Who Couldn't Log Out." Corina smiled.

Tsusaka's eyes widen in shock. "H-How did you…" "Does the name Helba ring any bells?" Wesley stated. "So you know Helba. What did she tell you?" Bear asked, folding his arms. "There is a connection between the comatose victims and the recent happenings to the electronics. It has something to do with the Epitaph of Twilight. The same Epitaph of Twilight that created the online game, The World." Wesley stated.

Tsusaka's eyes widen in shock again. "What does this have to do with my friend, Subaru?" She asked them. "Ever since you logged out of The World, Subaru was investigating something. Something that is connected to the comatose players two years ago, then she fell into a coma." Wesley stated.

"I see. So whatever thing she is investigating has something to do with the Epitaph of Twilight." Bear scratched his chin in thought. "Yes. And there must be something that Harald Hoerwick was hiding to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. An… I know it may be difficult for you, but in order to save your friend, you must log back into The World and find out what she was investigating." Wesley stated.

"…" Tsusaka was silent for a moment. "We won't force the decision on you. But if you decide to log back into The World, look for my friend Zoey and a red player named Kite, they'll help you find the way." Corina winked at her. "Now, if you excuse us, we need to head back to our work area to discuss the problem." Wesley bowed politely as he and Corina left the apartment.

"An?" Bear asked her in concern. Tsusaka was silent for about 40 seconds till she looked up with determination and stated "We're heading back into The World to find out what's going on."

"That's the Tsusaka we know. I'll join you." Bear smiled as he went to his computer, Tsusaka went to her laptop and puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World after 2 years…

Tsusaka's character looked like Elk's, only it was grey and white, he has silver hair and his rod has a red jewel. Bear logged in as well, he looks exactly like Orca, but different. They appeared in Sigma Server.

Tsusaka gasped in shock as he sees the corruption in the skies. "What…What the hell happened here?" Tsusaka muttered in shock. "I don't know. So, how does it feel to be back into The World?" Bear smiled at him. "It's great, I guess… I hope Mimiru, BT, Crim and A-20 recognized me." Tsusaka smiled softly.

"I'm sure they will. I bet they're in The World somewhere. What level are you before you logged out of The World?" Bear asked him. "Um… 55 I think. Yeah, it's 55." Tsusaka checked his status.

"That's good. Why don't you look for these Kite and Zoey persons while I shop for items?" Bear asked him. Tsusaka nodded as he began searching for the ones who may help him.

It took Tsusaka 2 minutes to find our heroes, he saw them talking with the KM group, Sousou and Ensho's groups included. "So, you finally got that Bird Jerk on your side, eh? Never thought he would join you…" Sousou smirked.

'Bird Jerk?' Tsusaka thought to himself as he listens in. "Balmung was also trying to help Orca and the comatose victims. He'll make a great ally to our team." Kite smiled. "If you say so, then we happily accept Balmung into our team, Lady Reiha will accept him of course." Ganryo smirked, Ensho just grumbled to herself.

'No way… Is that part of the cast of Koihime Musou?! What are they doing here in The World?' Tsusaka's eyes widen in shock. "What should we do, Kite and Zoey?" Komei asked them. Tsusaka gasped again. Are these the players Corina told him about?

"We were thinking of going to a random area to get stronger, but we need a Wavemaster to help us. Wiseman is busy, Mistral is no longer playing The World, and Elk's MIA." Zoey scratched her chin in thought.

It was then, Tsusaka stepped in. Cho'un noticed him. "And who might you be?" Cho'un asked him emotionlessly. The rest of the gang noticed Tsusaka. Kite and Zoey's eyes widen in shock as they say "Elk?!"

"Um… Who's Elk? My name is Tsusaka." Tsusaka grinned nervously. Zoey's eyes widen in shock. Is this the player Aura told her about?! Zoey walked up to Tsusaka. Both of them stared at the other while the others watched. "…Are you the player known as Tsusaka?" Zoey asked, finally saying a word.

"Y-Yes… Are you the players Kite and Zoey?" Tsusaka asked while nodding. "Yes. What makes you say that?" Kite asked with a soft smile. "I… I want to help you in that area. In return, can you help me?" Tsusaka shifted nervously. 'I'm so nervous… Is it because I have been out of The World for so long?' He thought to himself.

"Sure, what is it you need help with? We can help you." Kan'u offered with a heart warming smile. "…My friend Subaru fell into a coma while playing this game." Tsusaka stated sadly. "Subaru?" The gang blinked.

Tsusaka told them everything, about how he once couldn't log out, his terrible past, the friends he has befriend, his meeting with Subaru and of course, Aura.

"I heard a rumor about a player who once couldn't log out. So it is you?" Kite asked him. "Yeah… I logged back into The World to find a way to save Subaru. And someone told me you two can help." Tsusaka stated as he tried to look away in embarrassment.

"Tsusaka… Like you, we too have some friends who have fallen into a coma because of this game. And we may know what caused them to fall into a coma. The Cursed Wave…" Zoey stated.

"The… Cursed Wave?" Tsusaka asked confusedly. "According to the Epitaph of Twilight, the Cursed Wave is an evil force that wants to destroy the world. There are eight signs that signal the arrival of the Cursed Wave: Skeith, Innis, Magus, Fidchell, Gorre, Macha, Tarvos and Corbenik. If we defeat all eight of them, perhaps that will stop the Cursed Wave and save the comatose victims." Kochu stated, Rin looked at Tsusaka with cute eyes which made him blush.

"I see… And how many are left?" Tsusaka asked them. "We already defeated three of the eight signs, so there are only five signs left." Juniku recalled what Kite and Zoey told her about the Epitaph of Twilight.

Tsusaka was silent for a moment till he pleaded "Please exchange member addresses with me. I don't know how big a help I can be, but I'll do my best. For Subaru and the comatose victims."

"Of course we'll exchange member addresses with you, Tsusaka! If you're a friend of Aura, then you're our friend too! Let's work together to help Aura, Orca, Bridge and Subaru!" Zoey smiled as she raised her weapon, so did Kite with a smile.

Tsusaka smiled softly as he locked his rod with their weapons. 'Hang on Subaru… I'll save you no matter what! No one is going to get in my way!' He thought happily. (A/N: Sorry if Tsusaka is OOC, but this takes place after Sign, so I'm doing my best to describe Tsusaka's new personality.)

To be continued…

Next time: Galaxy Angel

A/N: Next time, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, Inuyasha, Kan'u and their friends and allies will meet the Galaxy Angel gang, their anime versions to be exact. How will the Galaxy Angels and their supervisors cope in a world where they're anime characters and in a video game? Stay tuned!


	46. Galaxy Angel

Chapter 46: Galaxy Angel

Bear was checking his inventory till he saw Mimiru walking up to him. He smiled as he greeted "Hello young lady." Mimiru puffed her cheeks in anger and then calm down and stated "Hello, old man."

"I'm sure you're aware of what The World looks like now?" Bear asked her. Mimiru nodded as she looked at the corruption. "Yeah… The World has changed. Some say it was hackers. But I don't think it's true…"

"Well, you won't believe who's back…" Bear grinned. "Huh?" Mimiru blinked, but then she realized who Bear was talking about. "No way… Tsusaka is back?!"

"Yes. And this time, he's on a mission." Bear nodded. "Does it have to something to do with Lady Subaru in a coma?" Mimiru asked him. "Yes. Apparently, some strange force is causing players to fall into a coma. And worse yet, Lady Subaru is one of them." Bear nodded as he looked at the sky.

"Is that why Tsusaka stopped playing The World before he started playing again two years ago? Because of Lady Subaru's condition?" Mimiru asked, sadden. "Yeah. Someone told us to seek out two players named Kite and Zoey. They say that they know something about the poem that makes up The World, the Epitaph of Twilight." Bear stated.

"Well, where is Tsusaka? I want to see his face after two fricking years!" Mimiru beamed, excited to see her first friend after two years again. "He's off exploring Sigma server. If you hurry, you may catch him." Bear smiled as Mimiru took off in a heartbeat. Bear looked up. "Things have changed since two years… I hope this crisis gets resolved soon." He whispered to himself.

It took Mimiru 30 seconds to finally find Tsusaka. She saw him chatting with Kite, Zoey and the Koihime Musou group. "Hey, it's those two players that were with that Heavy Blade lookalike of me!" Mimiru smiled as she walked up to them.

"..and there's BlackRose. She looks like your friend, Mimiru." Kite smiled. "No way… I got to meet this BlackRose character." Tsusaka gasped in awe. Then he noticed someone approaching them, it was Mimiru!

"M-Mimiru?! Is that you?!" Tsusaka gasped as he and his new friends ran up to Mimiru. "Long time no see, Tsusaka. So, how does it feel to be back in The World?" Mimiru smirked. "It's great, I guess.. How are you doing?" Tsusaka looked away in embarrassment.

"Doing good… But… The World has changed. Everything around it seems… eerie." Mimiru shuddered. Then she noticed Kan'u and her friends and allies. "Who are they? They don't looked like players I have seen before…? What?! No way! Are they the characters of Koihime Musou?!" Mimiru covered her mouth in shock.

"Why, we're getting famous, aren't we?" Sousou smirked again. "But… what are they doing here in The World, in our world?!" Mimiru stammered in shock. "We don't know… some evil force pulled us out of our world and sent us into The World. We have a theory that the evil force is responsible for the corruption of The World and the problems in the real world." Cho'un stated as she sat down.

"Then, what is this enemy?" Mimiru asked, hoping for an answer. "The Cursed Wave…" Zoey frowned. "The… Cursed Wave?" Mimiru blinked. "The same evil force that appeared in the epic poem, the Epitaph of Twilight." A voice stated, all eyes turned to Wiseman logging in.

"Wiseman. Have you got any info yet?" Kite asked him. "Yes. Apparently, there are only five signs left till the arrival of the Cursed Wave." Wiseman stated. "So, if we defeat the five remaining signs…" Komei stated.

"No, there is still Cubia. I am currently working on a plan to counter the Cursed Wave. I will inform you if anything comes up." Wiseman bowed politely as he logged out.

"Sounds like this Wiseman guy knows about the enemy we're facing." Mimiru has a serious look on her face. "But he reminds me of BT… I wonder how she's doing." Mimiru sighed.

"We're about to go to an area to fight monsters and maybe find some treasure. I picked out an area called Sigma Gathering Timeless Fields. Say, Mimiru, wanna come with us?" Zoey offered.

"Sure. I'm interested in your characters." Mimiru smiled, after exchanging member addresses with Mimiru, Kite and Zoey formed their party while Tsusaka and Mimiru formed their party and they and the KM group went to Sigma Gathering Timeless Fields.

Meanwhile… in the Galaxy Angel anime universe…

The Angel Brigade were waiting in the Angel Room, apparently Commander Volcott has called them in for some special reason. It was then, the Commander came in, a worried look on his face.

"So, Commander, what's the idiotic mission this time? Search for Lost Technology that can turn people into babies, send them to heaven, melt people or other stuff?" Forte Stollen stated as she adjusted her hat.

"N-No… It is much more serious… …We have been hacked." Commander Volcott stated seriously. "Hacked? Like someone hacking HQ?" Mint Blancmanche asked, her ears perked with interest.

"Yes. We're not sure who is hacking us. But the screens showed one name…" Commander Volcott stated seriously. "You mean the name of the hacker?" Ranpha Franboise asked, interested.

"Yes… Morganna Mode Gone…." Commander Volcott stated seriously. "Morganna… Mode Gone?" Milfeulle Sakuraba shivered at the sight of the name. "My data banks of the Transvaal Mainframe stated there is no Morganna Mode Gone. But it doesn't add up." Normad stated.

"Unknown hacker, dangerous or harmless." Vanilla H stated emotionlessly. "Come with me. The Peiro Brothers and Commander Mearii doing their best to cure the system of the virus.

"Damn it! This is one tough virus." Kokomo Peiro growled as he kicked a machine. "This virus is unlike anything I have ever seen. Just who is this Morganna Mode Gone?" Maribu Peiro wonder as he continued typing.

"If we don't cure this virus now, the entire system will be…?" Commander Mearii raised an eyebrow as the screen showed a message. "What the hell is this?" Forte gritted her teeth in surprise.

The message showed:

**"Pitiful humans of the anime, Galaxy Angel… Your time and the four worlds' time will end. You humans are deemed inferior by me by plaguing worlds and dimensions. Now this will end. I will lead a era of AI to build a new future for AIs. Your time will end and I will make sure no living human survives…"**

"Galaxy… Angel?" Mint blinked. "Four worlds?" Milfeulle blinked. Suddenly, the rainbow portal appeared in front of them, they screamed by surprise as they were sucked in.

Back in The World…

The gang appeared in Sigma Gathering Timeless Fields. Kite looked at Tsusaka. "Um, Tsusaka? Are you a newbie?" "No. I'm level 55." Tsusaka told him. "Me, I'm level 75." Mimiru smiled.

Suddenly, they heard screams. "Hear that?" Bacho tensed. They see the Angel Brigade and their supervisors being chased by an Ironball Titan. "Those guys are in trouble!" Mimiru shouted as she readies her sword. "We got to help them. Come on, Tsusaka!" Tsusaka nodded as he and his friends followed suit.

"Vak Rom!" Tsusaka shouted as he casted an earth spell (A/n: Please forgive me for this, I'm at a lost of what weapon and armor has the right spells and what not, so please bear with me.) to get the Ironball Titan's attention.

Zoey and Kan'u combined their attacks to give the Ironball Titan some large damage. Kochu fired arrows while Cho'un casted spells on the monster. Sousou used her scythe staff to give the monster some medium damage, causing it to Protect Break.

Kite smiled as he readies his bracelet and he shouted "Data Drain! He fired, reducing the monster to a weak one. The Angel Brigade and their supervisors except for Vanilla jaw dropped to the ground. Tsusaka and Mimiru were shocked.

"What… was that?! I have never seen a skill like that in my entire life!" Mimiru gasped in shock and awe. "That… was the power of Data Drain. An power given to us by Aura." Zoey smiled softly. "I have been meaning to ask you that. How exactly do you know Aura?" Mimiru asked. "Mimiru, we also want to ask you the same thing as well. How did you know Aura?" Kite asked her.

"Well… It's because we helped wake her up from her slumber. Tsusaka was the one who woke her up." Mimiru stated. Tsusaka looked away shyly. "I see…" Kite nodded as he turned to face Tsusaka with a smile and replied with "Me and Zoey should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, we would be in serious trouble."

"Huh?" Tsusaka and Mimiru were confused. Kite and Zoey told the two of how they met Aura, how Orca and Bridge fell into a coma because of Skeith's Data Drain and how they and their friends managed to defeat Skeith, Innis and Magus.

"So, if we defeat the five remaining signs, will Orca, Bridge, Subaru and the comatose players wake up?" Tsusaka asked, hoping this might wake up his one true love. "We're not sure, but maybe." Kite nodded.

"Um… What are you guys talking about?" Mint asked confusedly. Kite and the gang turned to face the Galaxy Angels and their supervisors. "No way! It's the Angel Brigade!" Zoey gasped in shock.

"Well what do you know; we're famous in this strange world. Is this an area habited by the Transvaal Empire?" Ranpha asked, hoping they are famous in whatever they have been sent to.

"Um, no… In our world, you're just characters of a anime TV show called Galaxy Angel. Let's see, there's Milfeulle Sakuraba, Mint Blancmanche, Ranpha Franboise, Forte Stollen, Vanilla H , Normad, Commander Volcott, Commander Mearii, and the Dumb Dumb Brothers." Zoey smirked.

"Dumb Dumb Brothers?! Why you little bitch!" Kokoma screamed angrily as his brother Maribu did his best to held him down from thrashing Zoey. "So wait? If we're characters of a TV show, d-does that mean we're just characters for entertainment?!" Ranpha shouted angrily, an anger vein on her forehead.

Forte aimed her gun at Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang. "How the hell do you know these things?!" She snapped. "Could they be the ones who created the Lost Technology? They don't look ancient to me." Normad stated. "Young creators of ancient technology, perhaps wise…" Vanilla stated emotionless. 'Yikes, she reminds me of Tsusaka's old self…' Mimiru gulped.

Kan'u then realized something. "Wait a minute… Did you guys come through a rainbow portal that sucked you into The World?" She asked them. "Why yes, how did you know?" Commander Volcott raised an eyebrow.

"The same thing happened to us. Like you guys, our adventures was based on a novel and anime show called Koihime Musou." Juniku stated. "But… What's going on? What is this place?" Milfeulle asked, afraid, she nearly fainted.

"I… think some explanation are in order. Come on, once we explain things to our new friends, then we'll head back to this dungeon." Kite laughed.

Meanwhile…

"So… Tsusaka has returned… And he has joined forces with the fools who are friends with Aura…" Morganna's voice growled. Naraku appeared. "It seems they might put an hindrance in our plans to destroy the humans of the five worlds. Lady Morganna, let me take care of them. My minions and I will make sure they will fail." Naraku smirked.

"Very well. However, if you fail and perish, I will send one of my 8 Phases to destroy them…" Morganna agreed. "Thank you. You are wise in choosing me as your ally." Naraku laughed evilly as a mist engulfed his body and he disappeared.

To be continued…

Next time: Dance of Winds

A/N: Next up, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, Inuyasha and the gang will face Kagura in the first part of the Naraku mini-arc in Arc 3. So stay tuned!


	47. Dance of Blades

A/N: Alright, time for the second Dot Hack Mew Mew Concert special! Then, we'll start the chapter! Dot Hack Mew Mew Second Concert! Go!

Zoey, BlackRose, Mistral, Kan'u, Chohi and Natsume were smiling at the cheering crowd.

Zoey: Are you ready for the second part of the concert?! (The crowd cheered)

BlackRose: We can't hear you!" (The crowd cheered louder)

Kan'u: Alright, time for a song! Ready?!

All girls: kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

kono michi o nido to modoru koto wa dekinai

ano toki fumihazushita kyoukaisen no mukou ni

kimi wa donna yume egaite ochite itta

Zoey: ashita ni wa miete kuru mirai nante ROKU demo nai kedo

Kan'u: moshi ka shitara sonna mono ni sugaritsuite ikite iru

Mistral: kitto hontou wa kimi mo watashi mo chigau basho de onaji mono o

Chohi: sagashiteru, kanjiteru, tatta hitotsu no shinjitsu

BlackRose: sore dake o tada shiritakute

Kan'u: nani mo motazu ni koko ni iru

All girls: yume to utsutsu o samayou, we're too close to the edge!

All girls: kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

The Big Screen shows the battles with Fichell, Goree and Naraku and his minions in shadows

fumihazushita michi o modoru koto wa dekinai

kimi ga ima doko ni ite nani o mitsumete ite mo

sonna fuu ni kokoro hanashita mama futari wa aishiau no

(Instrumental part plays)

BlackRose: This is it! We're getting close to the finalie! (The crowd cheered louder)

Chohi: We can't stop now! We're getting to the end!

Mistral: Everyone sing with us!

Zoey: ashita ni wa miete kuru donna mirai o shinjite

tasogare no shizukesa o mou ichido mitsukeru tame ni aruiteru

kono basho o…

BlackRose: ashita ni wa miete kuru mirai nante ROKU demo nai kedo

Kan'u: sonna mono o shinjiteru baka na tsuyosa ga hoshii dake

Chohi: kitto koukai ya nagusame yori mo konkyo no nai netsuryou de

Mistral: ikite itai, sore dake de

Zoey: kanjiteru, aruiteru, kono basho ni tatte utatteru

BlackRose: nani mo motazu ni koko ni iru

All girls: ashita wa doko e yukou ka, we're too close to the edge!

Brief pause, then the girls danced and sing

All girls: kono mama zutto yuku no ne uso o tsumikasanete mo

fumihazushita michi no saki o mitodokeru made

miehajimeta hikari ni nani ga umarete kuru no

sonna fuu ni yume o hanashita mama futari wa aishiau no!

The girls struck a pose as they are covered in shadows and the crowd cheered louder.

A/N: Arc 3 will be bigger than the other 2 Arcs and when we get to Arc 4, the final arc in this saga, it will be even bigger than before! So on with the first part of the five part Naraku mini-arc of Arc 3!

Chapter 47: Dance of Winds

"So let me get this straight… Aura is the girl who gave you those… Data Draining powers and she needs help in order to help the comatose victims, namely your friends Orca, Bridge and Subaru and we have to defeat five of the eight signs that signal the arrival of the Cursed Wave?" Mint asked, piecing together what Kite and Zoey told her.

"Oh wow!" Milfeulle beamed as sparkles appeared around her. "I bet Aura is a princess who needs rescuing from this evil Cursed Wave!" Milfeulle then thought of Aura being a beautiful princess held hold up in a castle.

"Um… Milfeulle, it's nothing like that…" Kite closed his eyes, smiled nervously and sweat dropped. "But how can this be possible? If we're characters of a TV show and this girl named Aura needs help, how can we trust you?" Normad stated.

Zoey thought of something. "Say, aren't you guys feeling hungry?" Zoey guessed. "Zoey, what are you talking about?" Mimiru asked her, confused. "When Kan'u and some friends of ours from a different era are pulled into The World, they don't feel hungry." Kite stated.

"Huh? Come to think of it, I don't feel hungry at all." Forte blinked. "WHAT?! What do you mean you're not hungry?! We have to be hungry sometime!" Ranpha screeched. "Forte is right, Ranpha. We don't feel hungry when we first arrived in this world." Commander Mearii stated embarrassed.

"Listen, we got to go. But we'll keep in touch once we log back in. It's nice meeting you, Tsusaka. Let's work together to help our friends." Zoey smiled. "Same here." Tsusaka smiled back as the four of them logged.

Ranpha cried as anime tears fell out like a bent line in waterfall style. "What should we do?! We're trapped in a God forsaken world where we're TV characters and we don't feel hungry at allllll!"

"It could be worse though, we could end up in a world where the hunter becomes the hunted…" Normad stated, Ranpha responded by kicking the poor doll into a wall. "M-Miss Ranpha! That was not very nice!" Komei gasped as she ran up to Normad and checked for loose threads. "Did that mean old woman hurt you, Normad?" Komei smiled.

"T-Thank you. You remind me of Vanilla-san. She's nice and caring like you, unlike the blond haired bimbo and gun crazy old maid." Normad blushed somehow, Commander Volcott and Mearii did their best of holding Ranpha and Forte at bay to prevent them from hurting the poor doll.

"Well, since we're in this world, why don't we interact with the players of this game called The World?" Milfeulle closed her eyes and smiled cheerfully. "A good idea, Milfeulle. Since you're new here, we'll show everything Kite, Zoey and their friends taught us about The World since we were the second to arrive by the rainbow portal." Kan'u smiled.

"Yeah, our tour guide is a big boobed weird dress looking lancer wannabe." Ranpha replied sarcastically. Kan'u has an anger vein on her forehead as she whacked Ranpha on the head with the butt of her spear.

"This will be troublesome…" Commander Volcott sighed.

(The next day, in the real world)

Zoey checked Tokyo Daily. It was showing news on the comatose victims who played The World.

**"The cause of players falling into a coma is still being determined. Rumors stated that The World, a game that is about to be put in the Guinness Book of World Records may be the reason the players fall into a coma. Scientists are locked in a heated debate that The World may or may not be the reason players are falling into a coma. Officials believe that it is still a matter of debate."**

"So far, they still don't know what's going on…" Zoey stated silently. Suddenly, she received a bunch of new emails from her friends she and Kite met. The first email is from Natsume and it read:

**"Finally. The servers are back online. I wonder what happened to the servers since that downtime?"**

Zoey replied with "I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I need your help." Zoey sent the reply. Next up, she read Sanjuro's email. It read:

**"Finally logged in. Call me if you need anything." **

Zoey replied with "Thanks, me and Kite may have a plan on how to help the comatose victims. So we will be needing your help soon." Zoey sent the reply.

Next up is Gardenia and it read:

**"Finally, the servers are back online. What's up on your side?" **

"Everything is ok so far. I guess the server crash got to you too, huh?" Zoey sent her reply.

Cutting this short, everyone she knew sent replies of them finally be able to log back into The World. Zoey decided to log into The World to pass the time for Wiseman to send her an email.

Zoey logged in. Suddenly, she heard a commotion. She turned to see Ranpha flirting with Inuyasha. Apparently, Inuyasha and friends went to Sigma server and Ranpha lay her eyes on Inuyasha. 'Oh no… Ranpha's trying to fall in love with Inuyasha…' Zoey sighed as she ran up to them.

"Like, what's the deal with the dog ears, cutey?" Ranpha asked, her eyes turned into hearts. "K-Knock it off! I'm not interested in you! I'm a half demon! A half demon!" Inuyasha growled.

"Yeah. Inuyasha however has one interest, and her name is Ka-ow!" Sango bopped Shippo on the head. "Sorry Shippo, but we shouldn't make it worse for Inuyasha." "O-Ok…" Shippo whined as he rubbed the bump on his head.

"He's not interested in you, Ranpha." Kokomo frowned. "Shut up, brat. I don't see you trying to find a girlfriend!" Ranpha blows a raspberry at him, Kokomo growled angrily. "Alright you three, knock it off." Kan'u sighed.

Then, Kagome logged in. She noticed Zoey and smiled and went up to her. "Zoey! I finally logged back into The World! So what's up?" She asked her. "Wiseman is thinking up a plan to battle the Cursed Wave. All we have to do is to wait for him to tell us what to do." Zoey smiled.

"And get this! You won't believe who's on our side now!" Zoey grinned. "Huh? Who?" Inuyasha, his friends and Kagome asked her. "Balmung of the Azure Sky!" Zoey grinned even wider. "WHAT?! Why the hell is that jerk on our side?! What if he interferes?!" Inuyasha snapped.

Then, Balmung logged in. "Um, Inuyasha?" Kagome stated. Inuyasha gave her a look before turning around to see Balmung. He gulped and stated "Um, what I meant to say that he's a good damn swordsman and famous to boot!" He laughed nervously. "Inuyasha, right? I apologize for what I said and did earlier." Balmung bowed his head in apology.

"Huh?! You're apologizing?" Shippo blinked. "See? What did I tell you? Balmung is one of us, now." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled. "Well, if Zoey said you're one of us, then you're one of us." Koga smiled slightly. Ranpha however has heart shaped eyes again at the sight of Balmung and ran up to him full speed.

"My knight in shining armor has come! What is your name, oh handsome knight?" Ranpha stated dreamily. "Um… Balmung. Are you, by any chance Ranpha Franboise of the anime, Galaxy Angel?" Balmung raised an eyebrow.

"Why yes I am, Sir Balmung!" Ranpha squealed. "To be honest, in the anime, you're kinda ugly." Balmung stated. Ranpha made a face meaning she's pissed off.

Then, Tsusaka logged in, followed by Mimiru. "Hello everyone." Tsusaka bowed politely. "Oh? I see you and Kite made some new friends as usual, Zoey." Balmung smiled. Mimiru gasped as she recognized who he is.

"B-Balmung?! You're okay?!" Mimiru ran up to him. "Hmm? Oh, you're one of the players I saved from the Data Bug two years ago. Mimiru, was it? How are you faring?" Balmung stated with another soft smile.

"Oh, doing good I guess. The World has changed… Did something happened to it? I bet you know since you're a well famous player." Mimiru asked him. "Really? Balmung here is well known in this world?" Forte asked, interested. "Yep! He's one of the Descendants of Fianna!" Mimiru nodded with a grin.

"But Zoey, how did you know him?" Mimiru asked, wanting to know how Zoey befriended the greatest player who ever lived. Zoey then explained about her and Kite's first meeting with Balmung, how it didn't fare well because Balmung was lost in his hatred of the powers of the bracelets Kite and Zoey have, but eventually, he became their friend now that they shared the same goal: to help the comatose victims and restore The World to its former glory.

"I see… Balmung, I have a question… Do… you know Lady Subaru?" Tsusaka asked, uneasily. Kagome looked at Tsusaka. "Say, come to think of it, you looked like Elk, only with a different color." She commented.

"Yes, I do. She was once the leader of the Crimson Knights before their disbandment two years ago. Why?" Balmung asked, folding his arms. Tsusaka looked down and stated "She too, has fallen into a coma." Mimiru looked down. She knew Tsusaka wanted to help his friend and maybe Balmung can help them.

"I see… I have no idea Lady Subaru has also shared the same fate that Orca, Bridge and the other victims have met tragically. Well, like you, I want to help both Orca and Lady Subaru snf to restore The World to its former enjoyable self. You'll have my blade in your quest to save her and the other comatose victims." Balmung smiled.

"T-Thank you." Tsusaka smiled shyly. "So, what are our plans for today?" Mint asked. "Yeah! Let's have some fun or go on an adventure!" Chohi pumped her fist in the air. Then, Kite logged in.

"Hey guys." Kite waved. "Oh good. Everyone's here. Listen, there's an area I wished to investigate. I heard a rumor that players are being attacked by a character they have never seen before in Sigma Forbidden Silent Cursed Field." Balmung stated.

"What kind of character was it?" Ginata asked, hoping this will possibly lead some clues to how to stop the Cursed Wave. "I'm not sure… But according to eyes witnesses, it was a woman who has black hair and uses wind skills with a fan." Balmung stated.

Inuyasha and his friends gasped in shock. "Kagura!" Inuyasha growled. "Hmm? You know something about the character, Inuyasha?" Kite asked him. "You bet I do! She's one of Naraku's incantations!" Inuyasha growled. "Who's Naraku?" Kan'u asked him.

Kagome sighed and began to tell the whole story of the history of Naraku, of how he was once a thief named Onigumo, how demons devour his body in order to become the demon Inuyasha and his friends hated today, how Kagome traveled back in time to the Feudal Era, the Shikon Jewel and why they must destroy it and the horrible things Naraku has done in the past.

"That's inhuman! Letting demons devour his body so he can commit horrible crimes in your era!" Milfeulle cried, feeling sorry for Inuyasha and his friends. "But what is Naraku and his minions doing in The World? Unless…" Kagome figured it out.

"They were also brought here by the rainbow portal." Cho'un frowned. "I find it hard to believe that time travel is possible by a well in Kag's home. But this Naraku… What he did was unforgivable… We cannot allow him to cause more suffering in The World." Balmung frowned.

"So we're heading to Sigma Forbidden Silent Cursed Field to find this Kagura?" Kite asked. Everyone nodded. Kite, Zoey and Balmung formed their party while Tsusaka and Mimiru formed their party, and then, everyone warped to Silent Cursed Field.

Maribu looked at the destroyed monuments. "Gracious, this Kagura person has done a number to this place." He gasped. "We should be on guard…Mm?" Sousou tensed as she sees a person there. Inuyasha growled as he unsheathed his Tetsusaiga and pointed it at her and shouted "Kagura!"

Kagura smirked as she walked up to them calmly. "Well, well. Inuyasha, I see you haven't change one bit. And I see the reincarnation of Kikyo in player form. Perhaps I will make her one of the Lost Ones as well."

"Lost Ones?" Tsusaka glared. "She means the ones who are comatose. But answer me this, Kagura. What are you trying to do? Why are you and Naraku destroying The World?" Balmung pointed his sword at Kagura.

"Don't ever compare me with Naraku! I'm nothing like him!" Kagura snarled as she readies her fan. "Typical… Well, guess we have to give her a beating! Yaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Ranpha charged at Kagura. "Wait! Ranpha!" Komei gasped. "Idiot… Charging head first." Ensho growled.

Ranpha lunged at Kagura, but she dodged it by stepping away, causing Ranpha to hit a stone wall. "That damn idiot. She acted without thinking." Forte frowned as she fired at Kagura. Kagura shouted "Dance of Blades!" She launched her signature wind attack, knocking the bullet to the ground.

"Nani?!" Forte gawked. "She's a wind demon. She has mastery over the power of wind. But that won't stop us! Revolver!" Kagome shouted as she charged at Kagura, hitting her with her new sword.

"Gah!" Kagura gritted as she held her chest. It was not bleeding since she is in The World, but it still hurts and Naraku told her if you die in The World, you're gone for good, the real world body will be destroyed if you died once the real world body is in The World.

"Damn it… Take this!" Kagura shouted as she launched wind blades at the parties, they dodged them. "Calamity!" Mimiru shouted as she leaped into the air and slams her blade on Kagura, giving her heavy damage.

'Since she's a Wood type demon… I better use…' "Gan Rom!" Tsusaka shouted as he casted a spell which hit Kagura for heavy damage.

"Cross Slash!" Balmung did a X like figure with his sword and hurled it at Kagura, giving her some decent damage. "Stacatoo!" Kite rushed in and spins like a tornado and hit Kagura for medium damage.

"Hiraikotsu" Sango hurled her boomerang at Kagura, but she dodged it and hit Sango with a wind attack. "Big sister Sango!" Chohi gasped, she glared at Kagura and charged at her, Kagura tried to hit her with wind attacks, but she dodged them and Chohi jabbed her spear at Kagura, hitting her for medium damage.

Kan'u also charged in and tried to hit Kagura, but she dodged it and hit Kan'u with a wind attack. Bacho charged in and jabbed Kagura five times with her spear, giving the wind demon some decent damage.

Koga and Inuyasha decided to put aside their differences for now and they tag teamed Kagura, giving her some big damage. "Go get her, guys!" Milfeulle cheered. Zoey decided to finish the battle by slashing Kagura five times with her sword.

Both the parties and Kagura panted heavily. "Kagura… Aren't you and Naraku… allies?" Kite asked her. "Allies?" Kagura frowned. "I am merely his slave. I never enjoyed all of the things that he did. But I cannot do a thing about it... he will kill me if I am disloyal." "..." The parties were silent.

"I will leave because you have defeated me. But I should warn you; Naraku is a master of deception. He will do anything to acquire the powers of Data Drain with the help of his new Ally. You children be careful now. I pray you two and the mutt can kill Naraku soon… perhaps I will gain my freedom." With that said, she enlarged one of the feathers from her fans and took off in the air. "So there's more to Kagura than meets the eye..." Balmung stated.

"But who is this Ally Kagura was talking about?" Zoey wondered. "It seems Naraku is interested in our Data Draining powers." Kite added. The parties were in thought about this.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Emotionless Little Girl

A/N: On part 2 of the Naraku mini-arc, our heroes will meet the Newspaper Club from Rosairo Plus Vampire and they will fight due to an misunderstanding when the Newspaper Club logs into The World to find out the cause of the comatose players all plotted by Kanna, can they put aside their differences and defeat her? Find out next time!


	48. The Emotionless Little Girl

Chapter 48: The Emotionless Little Girl

At Youkai Academy…

Tsukune Ano, his friends, Moka Akashiya the vampire (Perhaps his love interest), Kurumu Kurono (A subcumous fighting for Tsukune's love), Mizore Shirayuki (The snowwoman), Yukari Sendo (The young witch), Ruby Toujyou (The full fledge demon sorceress), Ginei 'Gin' Monka (The werewolf), and Kokoa Shuzen (Moka's half sister) were discussing what to report on their newspaper since the school allowed them to use the club and computer room during summer vacation due to Gin's convincing.

It was then, Kurumu has an idea. "I heard a rumor in Tokyo…" Kurumu smiled. "Well, what is it, Kurumu? Don't keep us hanging!" Yukari beamed. "Have you heard? People are falling into a coma because of an MMORPG." Kurumu stated as she looked at the window.

"Huh? Humans falling into a coma because of a video game?" Moka blinked. "Yeah. The same MMORPG is the very popular game by CC Corp, The World. Some people say people have fallen into a coma because of that game and the internet at some island called Nerima is having problems connecting." Kurumu nodded as she got out a lipstick and used it on her lips.

"I heard of that island…" Ruby frowned. "All sorts of crazy stuff happen there all the time and there's the Cursed Springs there."

"Some say it was a virus that caused The World's servers to crash and the real world is experiencing problems." Mizore stated as she puts the lollipop in her mouth. "Hmm, this may be a scoop." Gin stated.

"Gin, you got an idea?" Tsukune stated. "We're going to play The World to find out the cause of these strange happenings and exterminate the virus responsible for the happenings. Luckily, I came prepare for this job." Gin grinned as he tapped his foot on a floor panel, the panel opened up to reveal 8 The World starter kits.

"Since when did you get this stuff?" Kokoa asked, glaring at Gin. "Personal reasons. Now, I want all of us to go home and install The World into their PCs so we can solve this mystery and make the headlines!" Gin stated.

"Right." Tsukune nodded. Yukari looked at Moka. "Hey Moka? If you want, I can modify your character for The World to switch forms with your normal self and Reverse Self." Yukari stated.

"Well… OK." Moka nodded.

(In The World…)

Kite and Zoey logged in, so did Tsusaka. They looked around and saw The Galaxy Angels, Inuyasha, his friends and Kan'u and their friends at the Grunty Farm. Nodding to each other, the three head there.

Forte looked at a Grunty seriously. "I don't get why the people raise these… pig like cows." Forte muttered. "Aw come on, Forte. You may never know if you liked them." Ranpha closed her eyes and smiled, just then, the baby Grunty licked Ranpha in the face. Ranpha gritted her teeth as she glared angrily at the baby Grunty.

Tsusaka laughed. Ranpha glared at the Wavemaster. "And what's so funny about that, huh?!" Ranpha snapped at him. "Oh sorry. This reminds me of something similar that happened to Mimiru when she first met a Grunty." Tsusaka grinned as he leaned on his staff.

"Ugh! Don't remind me, Tsusaka!" Mimiru growled as she walked up to her friends. "Mimiru, you logged in too?" Kite smiled. "Uh-huh. So what's up?" Mimiru stated. "We're still waiting for Wiseman to tell us his plan to combat the Cursed Wave. So we're passing time by playing The World." Zoey smiled.

"Well, I hope this Wiseman guy thinks of it soon. I want The World to be back to its normal self." Mimiru sighed. "Hmm…" Tsusaka scratched his chin in thought. "What's up, Tsusaka-san?" Komei asked him. "I know a great place with a really rare item." Tsusaka stated. It was then, Balmung came in.

"How are all of you faring? I know it is difficult for Milfeulle, Kan'u, Inuyasha and their friends to adjust to a world where they don't feel hungry or thirsty." Balmung asked politely.

"We're used to it, Mr. Balmung. I just hope we find a way back to our worlds." Mint sighed. "So what's up, Balmung?" Zoey asked him. Before Balmung can answer, Ranma and his friends logged in.

"Finally! We logged in!" Ryouga sighed. "Yu Jie couldn't log into The World due to computers at home messing up. Yu Jie states computers in life support due to mysterious bad virus." Shampoo stated.

"Yu Jie is right, Ran-chan. If we don't hurry up and defeat the remaining five signs, not only will Nerima's internet go offline forever, but the comatose victims may never wake up again!" Akane stated. "I know. Let's find Kite and Zoey, so we can discuss what to do next." Ranma nodded.

Ukyo noticed Kite, Zoey and the gang talking. "We won't have to. They're at the Grunty farm in this server." Suddenly, Ryouga and Mousse noticed Balmung with them. "Sir Jerkalot!" They both growled as they charged at Balmung. "Wait you two dumbasses!" Ranma growled as he and his female friends followed them.

Vanilla noticed Ryouga and Mousse charging at Balmung. "Look out…" She stated emotionlessly. Balmung raised an eyebrow, and then he realized what Vanilla was saying and turned around and unsheathed his sword to block Ryouga and Mousse's attacks.

"What are you doing here, Sir Jerkalot?! Are you gonna tail us again so Lios can delete our characters?!" Ryouga growled. "Yukito, Qiao! Stop! Balmung is on our side now!" Zoey reasoned. "Nani?!" Ryouga and Mousse stopped what they were doing and looked at the half cat Blademaster in surprise.

"Wait a minute…" Ranma and his female friends ran up to them after hearing the whole thing. "Balmung, the same Balmung who despise you two because of your bracelets is now your best friend?!" Ranma, Mousse and Ryouga's mouths jaw dropped to the ground.

Balmung bowed his head in apology. "I apologize for being rude to you in Delta Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field. I was lost in my hatred of the bracelets. But now, I know they can do good things if used right." He stated.

"Hmph!" Akane puffed her cheeks in anger. "Even if you're their friend, some of us still don't trust you." She spat dryly. "I understand. It will take me time to earn your trust." Balmung nodded.

"Are we heading to that area you mentioned, Kite?" Commander Volcott asked. "Yeah. Let's head to Sigma Godly Fatal Holy Field." Kite smiled. After forming their parties, the gang used the Chaos Gate to warp to Sigma Godly Fatal Holy Field.

Just then, the Newspaper Club appeared in Sigma Server after leveling up their characters quickly to 50.

Moka's character was a Heavy Blade and is based on her real world self, she wore a revealing pink armour set with green gauntlets, black greaves and around her neck is her rosary which Yukari modified so Moka can switch forms in the game.

Tsukune's character was a Blademaster and he looks like his real world self only with purple hair, symbols on his face, yellow clothes with sign symbols, he has a silver sword on his back.

Kurumu's character was a Long Arm based on her real world self. Kurumu wore a revealing blue set of clothes and she has a flower ornament on her hair.

Mizore's character was a Blademaster based on her real world self, she wore icy blue clothes and has a sword shaped like an icicle since she's a snowwoman. She also has an eye patch similar to Sanjuro on her left eye.

Yukari's character was a Wavemaster and it was sorta based on her real world self, only, she's an adult. She wore an revealing black witch's outfit similar to Miharu and has her witch's hat and she has a rod with a black jewel on top.

Ruby's character was also a Wavemaster and it was based on her real world self, she wore pink and black sorceress clothes, black gloves, and red shoes. She has a black rode with a skull with wings on each side.

Gin's character was a modified one that CC Corp decided to let him get away with. It was based on his werewolf form and he wore blue armor with his claws sticking out of the shoes. He was a werewolf Heavy Axeman.

Finally, Kokoa's character was a Twin Blade sorta based on her real world self, only she is an adult like Yukari, have a well balanced buxom, wore red assassin like clothes with her mouth covered by a face mask and she has claws as weapons.

"So, we gain enough EXP to get to level 50. So are we strong enough to face whatever is behind the strange happenings?" Tsukune asked Gin. "Well, Tsuk. I'm not sure where to look. This our first time playing this game and we managed to level up to 50 quickly in one day." Gin scratched his snout in thought.

Suddenly, Moka felt a chill. "What's up, Mokky?" Kurumu asked her friend and rival in concern. Then, she noticed a girl with white hair similar to Aura, wore a blue dress and is holding a mirror.

"Never seen a character like that before…" Yukari stated, looking at the girl oddly. "…Sigma Godly Fatal Holy Field." She stated emotionlessly as she faded away. "Sigma… Godly Fatal Holy Field?" Mizore blinked.

"Maybe that's we'll find the ones responsible for the comatose players?" Ruby guessed. "It's worth a shot. Let's go to Sigma Godly Fatal Holy Field." Kokoa nodded as the Newspaper Club warped to Sigma Godly Fatal Holy Field.

Back to our heroes, they finished the dungeon and exited using a Sprite Ocarina. "Well, that was fun." Komei smiled. "We still got time, so wanna clear this area of magic portals?" Balmung suggested.

"Well, OK. We need to get stronger to defeat the Cursed Wave." Ranma nodded, then, the Newspaper Club appeared. "Huh? Are they new players?" Ukyo asked, confused. "I dunno. Let's go ask them." Zoey suggested, everyone nodded in agreement as they head towards the Newspaper Club.

The Newspaper Club looked around. "Hello there. Are you newbies?" Balmung asked. The Newspaper Club looked at the gang. "…" "…" Both groups were silent for a moment. It was then, Yukari shouted "We found you!"

"Pardon?" Tsusaka asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're the ones responsible for the comatose victims!" Yukari pointed an accusing finger at the gang. "This seems familiar…" Kite stated nervously as he made a deadpan face.

"Never thought we encounter the ones responsible so soon." Gin stated as he gripped his blade. "We'll won't show any mercy!" Kurumu shouted as she spins her spear and pointed it at the gang.

"How troublesome…" Commander Volcott sighed.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Siblings

A/N: Sorry to put this on a cliff hanger, but I will get to the Kanna fight next chapter! After the Kanna fight, Kohaku will appear in the next chapter and our heroes will fight to save him. Then in part 4 of the Naraku mini-arc, Queen's Blade will appear. So stay tuned!


	49. Siblings

Chapter 49: Siblings

"Now hold on a minute. Just listen to us for a second!" Ranma panicked. Kurumu didn't listen as she charged in and tried to hit Ranma, but he dodged it.

Kite and Balmung locked swords with Moka and they were locked in a power struggle. Zoey stared down at Gin. "Sorry lady, even if you're cute, I have to delete your character." Gin stated as he clashed with Zoey. "Well, I hope you won't get the chance!" Zoey snapped as she clashed.

Mizore and Ruby were about to strike down Kan'u and her group and friends and allies till they recognized who they really are. "Oh my God… Is that the cast of Koihime Musou?!" Ruby gasped in shock.

"It appears so, Rubie… But what are they doing here in The World?" Mizore asked confusedly as she looked the Koihime Musou cast strangely.

"So you have heard of us…" Kan'u stated. "Yeah! Like, you're based on famous historical human figures and on that novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Ruby nodded. "How do you know these things if you heard of us?" Komei asked politely. "Oh, I know many many things…" Ruby said dreamily as she stared off into space.

"Er, Rubie? Focus here. We need to know how Kan'u and the cast of Koihime Musou are in The World." Mizore sweat dropped. "Oh right. My bad. So, Aisha… How exactly did you and your friends and somewhat foes made it here in our world inside The World?" Ruby asked. Ensho's assistants did their best to hold down Ensho to prevent her from hurting Ruby for that foe remark.

"First off, those five, their friends, and the ones who are also anime characters like us are our friends." Bacho stated. Tsukune, Kokoa and Yukari were about to attack the Galaxy Angels but Mizore shouted "Stop, you three!"

"Eh? Why are you ordering us to stop hurting the bad virus people?!" Yukari gawked. "Those aren't the ones we're looking for. Don't you recognize them?" Ruby stated. "Y-Yes! You watched us all the time on your television in your world! I'm cute, innocent and warm hearted!" Mint begged. Forte and Ranpha looked at each other with annoyed looks.

Tsukune, Yukari and Kokoa looked at Kan'u's group, then at the Galaxy Angels and they gasped in shock. "No way… It's really the casts of Koihime Musou and Galaxy Angel… But how…?" Tsukune stated.

Then, all eyes turned to Kite and Balmung's battle with Moka aka Mokky, they knocked her away a few feet. Moka glared at Kite and Balmung. "Looks like I have to get serious… In the real world, Tsukune was the only one who can remove my rosary to unleash my true form… But in The World, I can remove it cause both my and my other self's minds are the same. …Brace yourselves…" Moka then removed her rosary and she now has silver hair, a bigger bust and her sword has enlarged.

"What the?!" Kite and Balmung both gasped at the same time. Reverse Moka has an evil smile on her face. "Now then, prepare yourselves for a merciless ass whooping!" Reverse Moka charged at Kite and Balmung, they blocked her attacks, but they were pushing them back.

Meanwhile, Zoey was clashing with Gin's axe, till Tsukune tapped him on the shoulder and he whispered something into Gin's ear. Gin's eyes widen as he lowers his axe. "Well I'll be damned… Turns out you and your friends are not the ones responsible for the comatose victims. Sorry about that, cute lady." Gin bowed his head in apology. "C-Cute lady?!" Zoey puffed her cheeks in anger as she punched Gin in the snout.

"Owwwwwww! Shiittttt!" Gin cried out in agony as he held his snout, in the real world, he felt the pain Zoey gave him. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Gin apologized. "It's alright, I suppose… Right now, we need to stop this fight." Zoey turned to see Kite and Balmung holding their own against Moka's Reverse Form.

"Agh! What the hell is that character?!" Kite gawked as he dodged a swipe from Moka. "It must be a modified character that allows players to transform, it's not illegal so CC Corp allows mods that allows characters to switch forms, but using a character with hacked stats is sometimes ok!" Balmung grunted as he blocked Moka's attack, but Moka did a leg sweep that knock him to the ground.

Just as Moka was about to deliver the finishing blow, Tsukune stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. "Tsuk! Why are you stopping me?! Can't you see we're about to wake the comatose victims by killing these ones responsible for this?!" She snapped.

"They're not the ones we're looking for! We got the wrong guys!" Tsukune told her. Moka looked at Kite and Balmung and then back to Tsukune for about 50 seconds before she sighed and puts back on her rosary switching back to her sweet normal self.

"Um… Who are you guys?" Tsusaka asked. "Tsusaka, can I talk to you in private?" Mimiru grabbed Tsusaka by the shoulder and dragged him near the Galaxy Angel. "Did you see that woman change from a sweet heart to some killing machine? She almost make mincemeat of Kite and Balmung!. So it would be wise if we don't get on her bad side and not get Kite or the others harm." Mimiru stated.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind." Tsusaka nodded. Ruby and Mizore stopped Kurumu from attacking. "So… Who are you guys?" Commander Mearill asked, adjusting her glasses.

A quick introduction was made.

"So, uh… Why are you lot playing The World?" Yukari asked innocently. "To help the comatose players." Balmung stated. "And to defeat the ones responsible for the comatose players and broken areas… The Cursed Wave." Zoey frowned.

"The… Cursed Wave?" Moka asked confusedly. Kokoa thought about it for about 50 seconds till she figured out what they meant. "You meant the same evil force that appeared in the Epitaph of Twilight?" Kokoa asked them.

"Yes. We believe they're responsible for the comatose victims and problems in The World. There are 8 signs that signal the arrival of the Cursed Wave…" Balmung stated. "Skeith, Innis, Magus, Fichell, Gorre, Macha, Tarvos and Corbernik…" Ruby stated with a frown. Tsusaka's eyes widen in shock when he heard Macha's name. 'Macha… is one of the 8 signs? No, I befriended her when I was trapped in The World and she died to protect me… I wonder where she is…' Tsusaka looked down.

"Tsusaka, you okay? You looked kinda down…" Chohi asked in concern. "It's nothing." He told her. "Oh… OK…" Chohi nodded with a worried look.

"The reason we're playing The World… is because me and Zoey want to help our two friends, Orca of the Azure Sea and Bridge who have fallen into a coma because of the Cursed Wave." Kite told the Newspaper Club.

"Mmhm, and how are you supposed to defeat an enemy mentioned in a legendary poem?" Gin asked. "With these." Zoey smiled as she and Kite held out their arms and made their bracelets appear. "Whooaaaaaaa! Cooollllll!" Yukari gasped in awe. "I agree, Yukai." Moka nodded.

"What are those?" Mizore walked up to Kite and Zoey's bracelets. "Can you see them?" Zoey asked with a smile. She remember Mia seeing her and Kite's bracelets and she and Kite learned how to make their bracelets appear without using them.

"Those are bracelets that have the powers of Data Drain given to them by Aura." Balmung stated with a soft smile. "Data Drain?" Tsukune asked confusedly. "Aura?" Kurumu asked also.

Kite and the gang told the Newspaper Club about what happened so far, about how Orca and Bridge fell into a coma because of Skeith's Data Drain, how they met Aura and how she gave Kite and Zoey their bracelets and the trouble they went through to try to save the comatose victims.

"I have no idea…" Moka looked down in sadness. "Sorry about your friends falling into a… Sorry…" Kurumu bowed her head in apology. "It's alright. An ally of ours is formatting a plan to combat the Cursed Wave." Kite stated.

Suddenly, Balmung tensed. "What's wrong, Balmung?" Mimiru asked him. Balmung unsheathed his blade and pointed it at the girl from before. "It's that girl! You got a lot of nerve tricking us like that!" Kokoa growled.

Kanna said only one word… "…Kanna." "Kanna… So that's your name! Who are you anyway?!" Zoey gritted her teeth as she pointed it at Kanna. "…I am a servant of Naraku…" Kanna stated.

"I knew it! Another minion of Naraku." Kan'u frowned as she charged at Kanna, but Kanna reflected her attacks. "What the hell?!" Kan'u gawked as Kanna used an attack to knock her back. Kanna then summoned spirits of the dead and flung them at the heroes.

"She's no ordinary demon… We have to attack her from behind, that way, she won't reflect our attacks!" Cho'un stated. "Leave that to us! Everyone, on my mark…" Zoey, Moka, Tsukune, Kite, Mimiru and Balmung spin circles around Kanna, dodging her attacks.

"Now!" Zoey signaled as she, Kite and Balmung got behind Kanna and slashed her 10 times with their weapons. Moka leaped into the air and slams her blade down on Kanna's mirror, she blocked it, but Tsukune got behind Kanna and jabbed her five times with his spear.

"Calamity!" Mimiru slashed her blade at Kanna, giving her some damage, Kanna retaliated by firing energy shots at her, knocking her into the ground. Bacho decided to finish the battle by slamming her foot down on Kanna's face, followed by a slash by Sousou's staff scythe.

Kanna gotten up weakly as the parties pointed their weapons at Kanna. It was then, Kite decided to ask her something. "Kanna… Are you like Kagura? Do… you hate Naraku too?" He asked her.

Kanna slowly nodded and replied "Yes… He did… terrible things to people and he has teamed up… with an evil force to destroy the humans of both eras and three anime worlds…" Kanna stated sadly.

"She must mean the Cursed Wave!" Zoey gasped. "…Please. You must stop… Naraku…" Kanna begged as she vanished by a dark mist. "So, we know Naraku is teaming up with the Cursed Wave so he can accomplish his plans of destroying the five worlds…" Tsusaka frowned as he looked at the skies.

"And we got to make sure he doesn't do it, and after we deal with him, we once again focus on the Cursed Wave." Cho'un added. "Let's call it a day." Ganryo sighed in exhaustion.

Meanwhile, with Naraku…

Naraku sensed that Kanna failed to defeat Kite, Zoey and their friends. "Hmph… Kanna has failed. Kagura and Kanna are starting to outlive their usefulness. I have only one more minion to take care of them. This minion is special… They cannot bring themselves to harm him… Kohaku…" Naraku laughed evilly.

The next day…

Mimiru was waiting for Bear, BT and Crim. She gotten an email about meeting in Sigma server. It was then, Bear, BT, a woman with blond hair, ndeterminate age dressed in light green robes. She wears a gold circlet on her forehead, and has a blue gemstone attached to the front of her robes. Strangely, she doesn't appear to have a visible wave pattern anywhere on her character, and Crim, a Long Arm in red that looks like Nuke, only with blue hair logged in.

"So, you finally returned to The World, eh Mimiru?" BT smirked. "Long time no see, BT and Crim." Mimiru waved with a cheery smile. "Yeah, it's been long. How long have we been together since Tsusaka started playing The World?" Crim nodded with a smile.

Bear chuckled. "What's so funny, Bear?" BT asked, giving the Blademaster a frown. "You won't believe who's back…" He smiled. "No way… Tsusaka's back in The World?" Crim gasped. "Yes. And this time, he's on a mission." Mimiru added.

"…Does it have something to do with Subaru's coma?" BT asked, feeling guilty. "Yes. Also, The World has changed." Bear stated. BT and Crim looked around, the corruption of this server is creepy to them.

"Some say it was hackers. But I don't believe that stuff." BT sighed. "But we do know what's causing the infection and the comatose victims… The Cursed Wave…" Mimiru frowned, now Bear, BT and Crim were interested.

"The Cursed Wave? You mean the same evil force that was mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight?" Bear asked her. "Yeah. Tsusaka met two players who are fighting to save their friends. A Twin Blade and Blademaster." Mimiru added as she sat down on a ledge.

"The Cursed Wave is nothing but fiction. Only an idiot believes the Cursed Wave exist." BT frowned again. "Let me get to the point, damn it!" Mimiru growled, an small vein on her forehead. "These two players… have the ability to rewrite a monster's data." Mimiru stated, telling her friends about the power she and Tsusaka saw in Kite and Zoey.

"Wait… Rewrite a monster's data? Does such a skill exist?" Crim's lower jaw dropped slightly. "Yeah. Their names are Kite and Zoey. The friends they're trying to help are Bridge and Orca." Mimiru nodded.

"Wait a minute… Orca of the Azure Sea? …Don't tell me he also met the same fate as Subaru." BT's eyes widen in shock. "Yeah… Orca was also investigating something that Subaru was investigating.. ..Ya know, things have changed over two years… Silver Knight is MIA and I haven't seen that idiot, Sora around. I wonder what happened to them?" Mimiru stated worriedly.

Suddenly, the friends noticed Kite, Zoey, The Koihime Musou and Galaxy Angel casts talking near the Chaos Gate. Tsusaka was also there. "Well, what do you know? Tsusaka has made friends with people who share the same goal as him." Bear smiled.

BT was silent for a moment. "…If it is alright if I speak with those two players that are with our little Wavemaster?" She asked politely. "Sure, go ahead." Mimiru nodded. BT nodded as she walked to where Kite and Zoey are.

"…And then, this huge Data Bug appeared in the area where we first met Mistral, it was the same one that appeared when me and Kite got our Data Draining powers." Zoey smiled, telling the Galaxy Angels about the time she, Kite and BlackRose first met Mistral.

"No way… What happens next?!" Milfeulle squealed. Tsusaka noticed BT coming towards them. "BT… It's you." Tsusaka smiled. "It's been awhile, Tsusaka. I see you finally logged back into The World. I want to chat with your two friends, the Twin Blade and the Blademaster." BT asked.

"Hey, Tsusaka? You know this woman?" Bacho asked him. "Yeah… She's a Wavemaster like me. Her name is BT, she can be tough to get along with, but she's really nice." Tsusaka stated.

"You wanted to talk to us about something?" Kite asked BT. "Yes… I heard a lot about you two from Mimiru. But what I don't know is… How are you two able to rewrite a monster's data? What is your connection to Orca of the Azure Sea? Who are you two?" BT asked, Chohi, Komei and Juniku got shivers from BT's glare.

"Well…" Kite and Zoey told BT everything, about how they met Aura, how she gave them their bracelets which originally belonged to Orca and Bridge, how Skeith put them into a coma, the friends and foes they met, their friends from the Feudal Era and two anime worlds which they don't know how they entered The World, their battles with Skeith, Innis and Magus, Cubia, how Aura was broke into three pieces by Skeith's Data Drain, they also told them how they know Helba and learned about the Epitaph of Twilight.

"I see… I have no idea that these events happened… The World may be more than just a game. I believe you since you're friends with Tsusaka and know Aura." BT stated.

"So, you'll help us?!" Ryubei gasped happily. BT nodded with a smile. Then, BT noticed someone. Her eyes turned to who that person is, the rest followed her glaze and saw a boy.

"A… boy?" Zoey blinked.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Bloodlines: The Exiled Warrior

A/N: Next up, the battle with Kohaku and then, our heroes meet Reina Vance from Queen's Blade! Stay tuned!


	50. Bloodlines

A/N: Today's the 50th chapter of Dot Hack Mew Mew. In this chapter, Reina Vance from Queen's Blade will appear to help our heroes fight and save Kohaku in the fourth part of the Naraku mini-arc. Also, to answer everyone's questions about an sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew focusing on Dot Hack G.U., I'm afraid I can't at that time, I didn't have the G.U. games yet so until I get the Dot Hack G.U. trilogy for the PS2, I won't do a sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew. Also, on another note, I will make a Queen's Blade Character Arc with Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang meeting Queen's Blade characters, some will join them, while others will ally themselves with Morganna Mode Gone. But I will get back to the main storyline after these two arcs, I promised. Anyway, on with the fic!

Chapter 50: Bloodlines: The Exiled Warrior

"Hmm? I have never seen you before… Who are you anyway?" BT asked, suspicious of who this boy is. For some strange reason, Kite and Zoey figured that this boy is wearing clothes that Sango wore during battle.

The boy noticed Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang and smiled. "Oh hello. Who are you?" The boy asked cheerfully. The gang introduced themselves to the boy. "I see… Weird names though. My name is Kohaku…"

Kite and Zoey gasped in shock. Could this be Sango's brother who was under Naraku's control?! "Hmm? What's up?" Kohaku asked the two. "Oh, uh, nothing. Say, Kohaku? Do you remember anything else other than your name?" Kite asked him, wanting to make sure that this is the brother of Sango.

Kohaku looked down in sadness. "I… I don't remember." "How sad…" Mint stated softly. "…Say Kohaku? Wanna come with us to an area? It's called Sigma Darkness Forsaken Aqua Field. We want to know you some more." Zoey offered.

"R-Really? You don't mind?" Kohaku smiled. "Hold on. Let me exchange member addresses with Kite and Zoey first so we can go to the area together." BT interjected. Kite and Zoey nodded as they exchanged member addresses with BT and after Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and BT formed their parties, the gang warped to Sigma Darkness Forsaken Aqua Field.

But, unbeknownst to them, Sango was watching them chat with her brother. Sango looked down. "Kohaku…" She whispered sadly, then with a look of determination, she decided to follow them to Sigma Darkness Forsaken Aqua Field.

The gang appeared in a forest like area. Kohaku looked around in awe. "Wow… This place is…." Kohaku gasped in awe. "Do you like it?" Zoey asked with a heartwarming smile. "I find it strange that this world is different from our world. Since we are stuck here for who knows how long, we might as well be guests here." Normad stated. Ranpha and Forte gave Normad a dirty look.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kohaku raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's like this…" Commander Volcott began explaining to Kohaku about his group, and Kan'u's group mysteriously transported into The World and how they learned that they're anime characters in Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka's world.

"I see… So maybe this is why… Ugh, I can't remember!" Kohaku held his head in pain. "Take it easy, Kohaku. I'm sure your memory will return to you someday." Kite smiled.

"O-Ok…" Kohaku nodded wearily as the gang head into the first area of the forest.

Kohaku stared at the magic portal in front of them. "Um, what is that?" Kohaku asked. "It's called a magic portal. Monsters or treasure chests may appear out of it, but monsters appeared frequently since that's the point of RPGs." Kite stated as he, Kan'u and Bacho walked towards the portal. Three monsters appeared when the portal disappeared.

"Do you know how to fight, Kohaku?" BT asked him. "Um, yeah." Kohaku got out his sickle and swing it at the first monster, giving it some damage. "Never seen a weapon like that before in each class." BT muttered as she casted Vak Rom to give the two monsters some damage. "Ra Rom!" Tsusaka casted a spell as well, hitting three monsters as well.

"Twin Dragon!" Kite spins like a tornado hitting the second monster, defeating it. Kan'u and Bacho combined their efforts on defeating the last two monsters. "That was close…" Kohaku sighed in exhaustion.

"I know it's tiring, but bare with us, OK?" Zoey smiled warmly at him. Kohaku nodded as the parties pressed forward.

Sooner or later, they made it to where the dungeon is, but however, before they can enter. Kohaku stopped. "Hmm? Something wrong, Kohaku?" BT asked him.

Kohaku panted for awhile before he held his head. "Argh…." He stammered.

**'Kohaku… Destroy the ones called Kite and Zoey and take their bracelets…"**

Kohaku screamed out in pain as dark mist appeared around him. "What on earth?!" Kan'u gasped as she and her group prepared themselves for battle. "I feel an evil aura controlling Kohaku… But where?!" Cho'un tensed.

Kohaku screamed even louder as he calmed down, the mist disappeared, and then Kohaku got out his sickle and lunged at Kite and Zoey. "What are you doing?!" Forte gawked as she got out her gun and pointed it at Kohaku.

Kohaku said nothing as he used his sickle to knock Forte's gun away from her. "Shit!" Forte swore as she held her hand, it wasn't bleeding or anything, but it still hurt her.

"Kohaku… Please stop! What's gotta into you?!" Milfeulle cried, tears falling out of her face. Kohaku lashed his sickle at Kite, but Tsusaka got in the way and blocked it, his staff caught in Kohaku's sickle.

"Kohaku! Please! Snap out of it!" Tsusaka shouted, he is struggling to keep his footing. "Something's controlling Kohaku… Could it be the Cursed Wave?!" Sousou gritted her teeth.

"No… It has to be Naraku!" Kite frowned as he readies his blades. Zoey didn't hesitated by unsheathing her sword. But then, they lowered their weapons. "What are you two doing?! Tsusaka needs help!" Bunshu shouted, annoyed that Kite and Zoey lowered their weapons.

"We can't… We can't hurt Sango's brother…" Zoey shook her head. Suddenly, a voice shouted "Hirastoku!" Sango's bone boomerang appeared and destroyed the sickle. Sango caught it, with her is Kirara in her true form. "Sango!" Zoey and Chohi shouted in shock and glad to see her.

"Who's that?!" BT gasped. "She's a friend of ours. Kohaku is her brother who is under the control of Naraku!" Kite stated. "Naraku?" BT wondered.

Sango and Kohaku stared at one another. "Kohaku… Please! Try to remember! It's me, your sister, Sango!" Sango pleaded. "San…go?" Kohaku muttered, suddenly, he felt that he knows this woman. He held his head in pain. "I…I can't remember!"

The dark mist surrounded Kohaku again. "No… Naraku's trying to take control of Kohaku again!" Cho'un gritted her teeth angrily. Suddenly, a white aura surrounded the dark mist, dispelling it for awhile. Then, the parties turned to see a woman coming in.

She was about maybe 19 or 20 years old, has blond hair tied up in two braids with rings at the end, blue eyes, has a bust that rivals Kan'u's, she is almost exclusively adorned in armor with a distinct breastplate that gives her protection and immunity to certain demonic attacks. On her right arms and neck is a series of long brown straps wrapped around her that dangle about freely. For added protection, she carries a full-arm armored gauntlet on her left arm with a buckler mounted on it.

"Who is that?!" Komei gasped. "Never mind that! We have to purify the evil influence on this boy somehow!" the woman shouted. "But how… How can we free Kohaku from Naraku's evil influence?!" Sango gasped. Suddenly, Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined.

"Your bracelets?!" Tsusaka gasped in shock. "W-What are those?! …Are these your bracelets you told me about? The ones that enables you to rewrite monsters' data?" BT gasped in shock.

"Yeah… But I feel a new power coming to me." Kite stated as he walked towards Kohaku who is in pain. "Same here…" Zoey nodded as she followed Kite. They held their bracelets together and a powerful white aura appeared around Kohaku. Kohaku screamed in pain, but suddenly, he's starting to feel better, the demon influence in him began to disappear, meaning he is reborn and freed of Naraku's influence. Kohaku closed his eyes and began to fall on the ground, but Sango caught him.

"Kohaku! Kohaku! I am so glad you are back!" Sango weeps as she held her little brother close, happy that she has her little brother back and freed from Naraku's influence once and for all.

The busty woman walked towards Kite and Zoey, Kan'u couldn't help but feel jealously over this woman's bust. "Big sister Aisha? Are you jealous of this woman's bust?" Chohi asked her. "K-Knock it off, Rinrin!" Kan'u scolded her, Chohi sweat dropped.

The woman smiled and stated "You two are really strong, freeing this boy from whatever is controlling him. I admire that." "Um… Thanks." Kite blushed, he's doing his best to look away from this woman's chest.

"Who are you?" Zoey asked the woman. "My name is Reina Vance, the Traveling Warrior." Reina smiled.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Darkness's End

A/N: Next up is the final part of the Naraku mini-arc where our heroes will face Naraku and put an end to his evil once and for all. Can they defeat a demon who has caused so much pain and tragedy in the past? Also, Kikyo will be a side villain in Arc 4. But that's enough from me, see you next time!


	51. Darkness's End

Chapter 51: Darkness's End

Naraku frowned. He just realized he has lost control over his puppet, Kohaku. Somehow, the ones called Kite and Zoey used their bracelets to cure Kohaku from Naraku's evil influence and brought him back to life as a regular normal human being.

"Bah…" Naraku spitted as he looked at the corrupted skies. "Damn you Aura… Your powers have freed Kohaku from my control." Naraku growled as he slams his fist down.

Little did he know that Kagura and Kanna were forming a plan to defeat the evil demon once and for all and perhaps get Kagura's heart back…

"This time I will deal with the bearers of the twin bracelets myself and destroy that mutt Inuyasha as well. When I'm through with them, their data will be scattered through out this virtual world and nothing will stop me and Morganna from destroying the five worlds!" Naraku grinned evilly as he tightens his fist evilly.

Back to the gang

Kohaku slowly opened his eyes as he sees Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang including Inuyasha and his friends minus Kagome smiling at him. But most of all, he sees Sango smiling softly as tears fell down her cheeks.

"S-Sango?" Kohaku muttered as he tried to get up, but winced when he tried to do so. "Don't move. You're still in pain after Kite and Zoey healed you." Tsusaka smiled as he walked up to him and closed his eyes as he pointed his staff at Kohaku and said "Repth." A soothing light appeared around Kohaku and his wounds were healed.

"Um… Thanks whoever you are." Kohaku smiled nervously as he got up and looked around. He sees Sigma server and it's corrupted image which shivered him. "Sango, where are we? This doesn't look like any village we been to. And where's Dad?" Kohaku asked her. Sango looked down in sadness. Kohaku spotted her sad face and stated "Don't tell me Dad is…!" He stammered.

"I'm afraid so… Your dad was killed by Naraku who set you and your sister up…" Kite stated in sympathy for Kohaku. "I don't believe it… Dad is gone?" Kohaku looked down in sadness. "I think we need to clear some things to Kohaku here." Miroku stated. "Just don't tell my brother you're my fiancée, you stupid monk!" Sango growled. Miroku chuckled and stated "I won't, I won't."

Miroku told Kohaku everything, that he and Inuyasha and the others are in the future, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and Kagome's era inside an video game called The World, about Kite and Zoey's powers, the Girl in White: Aura, how Orca, Bridge, Subaru and other players have fallen in a coma because of the Cursed Wave, an evil entity mentioned in a epic poem and how Naraku is involved in this somehow.

As Miroku was clearing things up to Kohaku, BT and Reina decided to chat for a bit. "Thank you so much for helping us. If you haven't use some weird skill on Kohaku, there would be a messy situation." BT bowed politely.

Reina closed her eyes and smiled and said "Don't mention it. Thing is, I used some special scrolls on my sword thanks to a friend of mine in the Queen's Blade tournament."

'Queen's… Blade…?' BT thought about it for about 50 seconds till she gasped. "Now I know who you are! You're Reina Vance from Queen's Blade!"

"Excuse me?" Reina has an question mark above her head. It was then, Kite and Zoey walked up to the two. "You know who this woman is, BT?" Kite asked her. "Yes. She's a fictional character from a TV show for people 18 years and older. That show also has gamebooks by various artists." BT stated.

Reina gasped as she pointed her sword at Kite, Zoey and BT. "How the hell do you know who I am?!" Reina shouted. "A lot actually… I don't know how to put this, but you're a fictional character from a TV show in our world and you have somehow entered The World in our world." BT stated calmly.

"Tell me why I should believe you?" Reina stated dangerously. "Tell me something, do you feel hungry or thirsty?" Kite asked her. Reina lowered her blade. She thought about it. Come to think of it, when that mysterious rainbow portal appeared and sucked her into this world, she doesn't feel hungry or thirsty at all!

"You… may have a point." Reina muttered as she looked at the corrupted sky. "Glad you understand. Now please, listen to our story." Zoey pleaded as she and Kite told Reina about the events that they have been through.

"Oh my! How horrible! This Cursed Wave has put your two friends into a coma!" Reina gritted her teeth angrily. "A act like that… is unforgivable!"

"Will you help us?" Tsusaka asked her, walking up to the four. "Well, since I arrived in this strange world not feeling hungry or anything, but I know I cannot ignore your plea. So my blade will aid you in your quest to fight the ones responsible and save the Girl in White called Aura." Reina smiled.

"Well, let's call it a day." Zoey yawned.

Meanwhile in Delta Server…

"Yeah. Thanks for inviting me to your party. Let's hang out sometime." BlackRose smiled as she waved good bye to her other friends. As she was about to log out near the Chaos Gate, she heard an evil chuckle.

"W-Who's there?!" BlackRose stammered as she gripped her blade. "Now now, my dear BlackRose, you will be the perfect bait for those fools Kite and Zoey!" Naraku's voice stated evilly as a dark mist covered BlackRose, 50 seconds later, she was gone.

The next day…

Zoey turned on her computer and got an email. It was from Helba. "Helba? Wonder what she wants?" She read the subject which made her eyes widen in shock. The subject was called "BlackRose is in danger" and it read:

**"Your friend BlackRose is in danger. She is captured by Naraku yesterday and is holding her hostage at Sigma Darkness Hopeless Field, a area which consists of an entirely white area similar to the one you met Lios in, only with data cubes floating around in the background. It seems he wants yours and Kite's powers for his selfish gain. You must hurry before BlackRose becomes one of the Lost Ones…"**

'BlackRose… No!' Zoey thought as she quickly logged into The World and sent emails to Yuusuke, Kite, Tsusaka, Kagome and the others.

When she arrived, she sees Kite, Yuusuke, Tsusaka, BT, Mimiru and their friends waiting for her. "Is it true? Big sis BlackRose is captured by Naraku?" Chohi gulped. Kagome has a serious look on her face. "This may be our final battle with the vile demon…" She stated seriously.

"You're right, Kag… There's no way in hell he'll escape us again! This time, we'll make him pay for the suffering and damages they have done!" Inuyasha snarled, showing his fangs. "Alright, we're heading to save this BlackRose?" Reina asked, gripping her sword.

"You know it. Let's head to Sigma Darkness Hopeless Field." Zoey nodded. After forming their parties, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, their friends, Inuyasha and his friends and the Koihime Musou group headed to Sigma Darkness Hopeless Field.

Helba was right, it has floating green cubes in the background. They see BlackRose unconsciousness in a yellow cube. "BlackRose!" Kite gasped as he ran up to her, but a dark mist stopped him, when the mist cleared, Naraku and a sawm of Samiyosho appeared.

"So, we meet at last, bears of the bracelets…" Naraku smirked evilly. "Naraku! If you tried to absorb our powers, they will corrupt you too! Why? Why are you doing this?! Why did you murder Kikiyo and brainwashed Kohaku and killed millions of innocent people?!" Zoey demanded as she and her friends got into battle stances.

"Because the humans are inferior and need to be destroy… You want to know why I am doing this? I'll tell you… It is because I was rejected…" Naraku frowned. "Rejected?" BT tensed.

"You all know I was once a thief named Origumou, I steal valuables and murder people. Then, karma started to haunt me and I was mortally injured, I took refuge in a cave and that is where I met her…" Naraku looked at the sky.

"Kikyo…" Tsusaka frowned. "Yes. She took care of me and felt sympathy for a mortally wounded thief. I thought for sure we would fell in love… But then, the mutt named Inuyasha appeared and Kikyo took a liking to her." Naraku stated vemously. Inuyasha looked down in anger.

"I was rejected by the woman who I thought loved me! That is why I came to a conclusion that all humans are inferior and need to be destroyed. That is when I sold my soul to the demons and became which you see before you. I have slaughter millions and caused so many pain and sorrow throughout Feudal Japan. But it wasn't enough. To save the Earth, we need to destroy it and the three anime worlds, Koihime Musou, Galaxy Angel and Queen's Blade. Only then will the universe see salvation." Naraku held out his hand and tighten it evilly.

"But what we don't know is how you end up in my era in The World, Naraku…" Kagome stated as she gripped her blade. "I met Her… She and I shared a common goal… The destruction of the four worlds and the extinction of the inferior human race. Once I destroyed the two of you and absorbed your powers, Her plan will come into fruitation!" Naraku grinned evilly as he got out a familiar pink jewel.

"The Shikon Jewel!" Shippo gasped. "You wouldn't…" Koga growled. "Try me. Now the time for talk is over and your deaths shall commence!" Naraku yelled as he planted the jewel inside his chest. Dark energies bursted out of Naraku as he began to change shape. When the dark light cleared, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang gasped in horror as they see a behemoth size demonic human version of Naraku.

"How will you defeat me now that the Shikon Jewel is inside me?!" Demon Naraku laughed evilly before he felt pain. "Who dares?!" Naraku growled. All eyes turned to see Kagura pointing her fan at the large evil demon.

"Kagura… So you decided to betray me after all? No matter…" Naraku got out Kagura's heart and made a minor shock to it, making Kagura winced in pain. She turned her head to Kite and Zoey and shouted "Go! Destroy the heart!"

"But Kagura! That will kill you!" Kite protested as he shook his head in protest. "Don't worry about me! Just trust me and I'm guarantee you will win! You must use Data Drain on my heart!" Kagura shouted.

Kite and Zoey were silent for a moment till they nodded. Kite turned to Tsusaka and the others. "Everyone, you got to keep Naraku distraction for me and Zoey to use Data Drain on Kagura's heart." Kite stated.

"Roger!" Everyone nodded as they split off into different directions to distract the evil demon.

"You wish to defie me?! Go ahead!" Naraku shouted as he used his palm to fire dark energy bullets. BT put up an barrier to block them. Bacho and Cho'un combined their attacks to hit one of Naraku's tentacles.

Inuyasha used Backlash Wave to destroy some samiyashou. Sango and Kohaku, now that brother and sister have reunited combined their attacks to hit one of Naraku's arms.

Kan'u, Chohi and Reina leaped into the air and slashed one of Naraku's fingers off. Naraku winced but growled as he used a tentacle to knock the three into the ground.

Kite, Zoey and Kagome were charging where Kagura's heart is. Naraku noticed them and fired energy bullets at them, it was tough, but they dodged them.

When they get to the top of Naraku's hand, Naraku noticed them and fired a mouth laser at them, but then, Kanna got in the way and used her mirror to absorb it, but Kanna's mirror break and Kanna was knocked off the hand and fallen into the ground.

"Kanna!" Kagome gasped. She looked sad for a moment before she turned to Kite and Zoey and nodded to them. Kite and Zoey nodded back and they activated their bracelets and shouted "Data Drain!" They fired at Kagura's heart. The blast destroyed the heart.

Naraku then felt pain. "Wha… What is this?!" Naraku held his chest. Kagura chuckled. "Don't you get it, Naraku? Kanna has placed a curse on my heart and when it was destroyed by Kite and Zoey's Data Drain, you will die along with me! Someone has to put an end to your evil and foolish plan once and for all!" Kagura shouted in triumph.

"No…Nooo…" Naraku winced in pain as rays of light erupted from his body. "You… may have destroyed me for good… But She will destroy all of you!" Naraku screamed in pain as he exploded.

Kite and Zoey and Kag landed safely on their feet and everyone watched the Shikon Jewel fall to the ground without breaking. Inuyasha walked up to the jewel and stared at it.

Tsusaka and Kan'u rushed to Kagura and Kanna's aid. "Kagura… You sacrifice yourself to save us…" Tsusaka stated sadly as he looked down in sadness. "It's… alright, young one… We have no choice. But She must be stopped, if left unchecked… She will destroy the four worlds… You must… stop Her." Kagura smiled weakly. "Good bye…" Kanna smiled for the first ime as she and Kagura turned into data and vanished.

"All my life back in my world I either wanted to become human or a full fledged demon with the Shikon Jewel. But seeing this jewel corrupted minds, I choose... Neither!" Inuyasha yelled as he crushed the Shikon Jewel with his Tetsusaiga, turning it to dust. "Inuyasha... You did the right choice." Kagome smiled. "Kikyo said that if the Shikon Jewel never existed, she could become a normal girl like she used to be... at least now I fulfilled her wish. I'm really glad I met you Kag and the others." Inuyasha smiled. "Um… Right." Kagome blushed.

Kite rushed to BlackRose's aid. "Hey! BlackRose! Wake up!" Kite smiled as he shook her awake. "Ngghh… Kite?" BlackRose moaned as she stood half way up. Tsusaka and Reina walked up to them. "Where are we?" She noticed Tsusaka and Reina and gasped.

"And why do I see a Elk lookalike with you?! And who is this over boobed woman?!" BlackRose shouted. The gang laughed at this. Now that Naraku is gone for good, the Cursed Wave can be dealt with!

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Warrior Miko

A/n: Next up is the first chapter of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc with Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka meeting Tomoe, stay tuned! Also, I have no plans of doing a sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew that follows Legend of the Twilight, I will only do a sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew that follows G.U.


	52. The Warrior Miko

Chapter 52: The Warrior Miko

It's been 2 days since Naraku's defeat. Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka were exploring a area, a snowy area. Kite and Zoey were checking around for monsters. Tsusaka then brought up something.

"Say…" He started to say. "Yes, Tsusaka? What's up?" Zoey asked him. Tsusaka hesitated for a moment before he said "What made you play this game?" Tsusaka asked them with a small smile.

Kite and Zoey smiled at him and stated at the same time "By our friends." "Oh?" Tsusaka asked, interested. "Orca, who's real name is Yasuhiko invited me to play this game. He's a friend of mine at school. I didn't know he was well known in The World." Kite then looked down in sadness.

"And that is where he fell into a coma, right?" Tsusaka asked, feeling sympathy for Kite. Kite nodded slowly. "My friend Bridge whose real name is Bridget also invited me to play this game. We were both beginning players, but then, we had a run in with Skeith and Bridget met the same fate as Orca…" Zoey sighed sadly.

"What about you Tsusaka? What made you play this game before we met you?" Kite asked him. Tsusaka was silent for a moment till he stated "To get away from the harsh reality of the real world…"

"Oh… I remember… Your mother died and your father disowned you…" Zoey felt sorry for Tsusaka since he has no parents, he was all alone in the real world.

"Yeah… Since then, I shut myself away from people, reacting coldly to them. I was a complete wreck. But then, that's when I met her… Aura…" Tsusaka looked at his wand's jewel. "Aura… So we were not the first ones who met her…" Zoey stated seriously.

"Yeah. She was a young girl sleeping. How she is sleeping, I will explain at another time. The way I was once before almost made her into another old me. But then, thanks to my friends and Subaru, she woke up just fine." Tsusaka smiled as he bend down and made a heart with his finger in the snow.

"Oh yeah. I heard of her. Lady Subaru was once the leader of the Crimson Knights before they were disbanded." Kite stated as he looked at the sky, wondering how Tsusaka knew a former legend.

"Yeah. She was the one who caused me to change and see the good things in life. Back then, I couldn't log out." Tsusaka stated. "H-Huh?! You couldn't log out?! Now that you mentioned it, you did say you couldn't log out once. Was there a reason why you couldn't log out?" Zoey blinked in surprise, now wanting to know why Tsusaka couldn't log out.

"…It's because my mind was trapped inside The World and my real world body was hosptilaized." Tsusaka stated. "Oh… We didn't know that. Sorry to hear that." Kite bowed his head in apology.

"No, don't be. When I finally logged out, I made an oath to never go back playing this game and spend the rest of my days having an happy life. But now… Destiny has called me here again, this time to save a friend." Tsusaka stated as he turned to face Kite and Zoey with a small smile.

"Subaru, right? Don't worry, we'll save her along with the other comatose victims!" Zoey reassured him. "Thanks. I'm glad I met friends like you." Tsusaka closed his eyes and smiled as he began to walk towards the dungeon, but stopped about 40 seconds, and then he turned around to see his friends and with a smile, he said "Oh, I forgot to mention… In real life, I'm really a girl." He grinned as he walked towards the dungeon.

Kite and Zoey were shocked as an imaginary piano fell behind them. "No way… Tsusaka is really a girl in real life?!" Zoey stuttered as a huge anime sweat drop appeared on her forehead.

"And he or she told us that she and Subaru were dating… Does that mean they're… gay?!" Kite made a face. "Kinda like Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune in my Sailor Moon manga…" Zoey muttered. After recovering from that shock, the two heroes followed Tsusaka into the dungeon.

When they entered the dungeon, Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined a gold color. "Huh? They never did that before." Kite stated as he and Zoey looked at their bracelets in awe. "Maybe they're trying to tell you something." Tsusaka guessed.

"Could be. At one moment, it tells us of… that thing when we gave the first piece of Aura back to her. I just hope It is not in this area." Zoey shivered. "Don't worry, I'm sure It won't be here." Kite reassured her as he and Zoey head into the first floor of the dungeon. Tsusaka remained still and thought '…It?' and then he followed them.

When they entered the first room, they see a magic portal, they got near it and an Ironball Titan appeared. "Alright, let's work together on defeating that monster." Kite smiled as he rushed in and slashed the Ironball Titan five times with his small swords.

"Ra Rom!" Zoey casted a thunder spell on the Ironball Titan, giving it medium damage. "Ap Do!" Tsusaka casted a speed spell on Zoey to increase her speed, Zoey swiftly dodged the Ironball Titan's lashes and leaped intot he air and slashed it five times, ending the battle. Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka earned some EXP and they proceeded into the next room.

When they entered the next room, they see two paths. "Which way should we go?" Zoey asked, looking at the two paths. "Hmm…" Kite got out an Fairy's Orb and it showed the entire map. "Both sides have magic portals, one may be a monster and the other may be a treasure chest. But the left path is the way we should go." Kite stated.

"Then left path it is." Tsusaka nodded as the party head into the left path room.

When they got near the magic portal, they saw Mimics. "Mimics… The ones who confused you to death…" Zoey frowned. "Let's take them out before they confuse us." Kite stated as he got out his swords.

It took them awhile, but they managed to defeat the Mimics. "Right, let's head into the next room." Zoey smiled. The party entered the next room.

They saw a stairwell leading to the next floor, they took it down to Floor 2 of the dungeon.

When they entered the first room of Floor 2, Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined the gold aura again. "They're doing it again. I wonder what they're trying to tell us something." Zoey wondered as she looked at her bracelet in thought. Kite then came to a conclusion.

"I think they're telling us of people from another era or world is in The World." Kite figured stated. "Go on?" Tsusaka asked him. "I think Aura bestow upon us a power to track people from other worlds when we gave the first piece of her back to her. They didn't activated for awhile, but now they are." Kite figured as he walked forward with his bracelet shining the golden aura.

"I think you may be right, Kite. Let's see where they will take us." Zoey smiled as she and Tsusaka head into the next room with Kite.

As they were walking down the path in the second room, Kite noticed some shadows ahead. He motioned his friends to stop and get ready incase there were Player Killers. They got ready, the shadows were getting nearer and nearer.

Virutal sweat ran down the three faces. The shadows revealed to be Mimiru and A-20. "Huh? Kite? Zoey? Tsusaka? What are you three doing here?" Mimiru asked, looking at them in concern.

"Oh! We meet again. And this must be that Tsusaka guy I heard so much about from Mimiru." A-20 smiled. "Mimiru? You venturing in the same dungeon as us?" Tsusaka raised an eyebrow.

"Phew! For a moment there, we thought you were Player Killers." Zoey sighed in relief. "A-20 and I came here because of a rumor…" Mimiru stated as she placed her hands on her hips.

"A rumor?" Kite asked her. "There's a rumor of some weird player who wore miko clothes and wielding a strange katana and has a headband with a really weird symbol on it. I take it as a excuse of finding Golden Grunties." A-20 smiled.

"Are there any Golden Grunties here?" Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Hey." Mimiru said, changing the subject. "Why don't we look for that strange player together? Two heads are better than one they always say." Mimiru offered.

"Huh?" A-20 looked at Mimiru in confusion. "But what about the Golden Grunty?" "We have bigger things than a Golden Grunty. Come on, guys." Mimiru smiled as she and Kite's party head into the next room. A-20 was silent for a moment before she ran after them.

The parties made it to the final floor and entered the final room. They see someone fighting an Ironball Titan, she has black long hair, wore standard miko clothes, and has a red bandana with some strange symbol on it.

"She's in trouble!" Zoey gasped as she, Kite, Tsusaka and Mimiru charged at the monster. Zoey rushed in and slashed the Ironball Titan five times with her sword.

"Twin Dragon!" Kite shouted, putting his new blades to work from that rare treasure chest he got in the dungeon, giving the Ironball Titan some large damage. "Calamity!" Mimiru leaped into the air and slams her blade on the Ironball Titan, giving it some large damage.

"Ra Rom!" Tsusaka casted a spell that gave the monster some damage. "Ola Repth!" Tsusaka casted a spell again and healed his friends who were hit by the Ironball Titan's attacks.

"H-Here goes!" A-20 let out a battle cry as she leaped into the air, intending to hit the Ironball Titan, but it quickly noticed her and slams her into the ground. "No! A-20!" Mimiru gasped in shock. The Ironball Titan raised its spiked ball arm, but then, the strange miko let out an war cry and slashed the monster five times, causing it to Protect Break.

Zoey activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired, luckily, A-20 was not hit by the attack and the Ironball Titan was reduced to a weak monster. A-20 gasped in awe as she sees what was once the Ironball Titan but now a weak monster. She quickly hit it and killed it.

A-20 turned to Zoey and asked "Wow! What was that skill?! I have never heard of a skill that can rewrite the monster's data!" "Um…" Tsusaka rubbed the back of his head nervously. "It's a long story…"

Kite and Zoey walked up to the woman. "Are you alright?" Zoey asked her. "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you so much." The woman smiled.

Miko woman's POV

**Those strange clothes… They're unlike anything I have ever seen. And what about that tanned woman with the huge sword? She reminds me of my dear friend, Reina. Reina… I hope you are safe. **

**But come to think of it… This isn't anything like Grainos or Hinomoto. In fact, I don't feel hungry or thirsty. When I work up in this strange land, I see mysterious yellow symbols floating in mid air and when I got near them, monsters or treasure chests appeared in their place… What a strange place.**

**I turned to the boy in red and he introduced himself. "My name is Kite. This is my friends, Zoey, Tsusaka, Mimiru and A-20. Who might you be?"**

**Hehe, that personality reminds me of Nowa the Guardian of the Forest. I wonder if the boy called Kite and Nowa are related somehow?**

**I smiled and with a polite bow, I said "My name is Tomoe, the Warrior Priestess."**

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Bandit of the Wild

A/N: How was that? It's not my best chapter, but at least I tired. This time, I will focus on the dungeons and doing POVs of Queen's Blade characters to try to lengthen the chapters together. But enough from me. Anyway, next up is Risty in the second chapter of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc. I hope to see you there!


	53. The Bandit of the Wild

Chapter 53: The Bandit of the Wild

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Tomoe!" A-20 smiled as she inspected Tomoe's clothes. "I got to say, those clothes are unlike anything I have ever seen before. Did you design them yourself when you first started playing The World?" She asked, still looking at Tomoe's clothes in awe.

"The World?" Tomoe blinked. "What do you mean playing the world? Is that what people play in Grainos?" She asked, curious on what she meant. Then, something hit Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka in thought. They remember BT saying something about Grainos from that adult show Queen's Blade. They thought back to the day after they defeated Naraku.

(Flashback: 1 day ago after Naraku's defeat)

_Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, Reina and BT were hanging out in Sigma Server after they have defeated the evil demon Naraku._

_"I'm curious, BT. What is Queen's Blade about?" Zoey asked her. BT looked at Zoey with a calm reassuring smile and then she started to explain._

_"Queen's Blade is about female warriors both beautiful and young despite age appearances competing for the title of Queen in a tournament held every 4 years. But the main character is our quest in The World, Reina." BT stated._

_"Wow…" Reina blinked as she said "I have never known my travels were watched by your people of this world. If what you said is true, then am I really a fictional character?" Reina looked at her hands in doubt._

_"Don't worry." Tsusaka reassured her. "Even if you're a TV character, you're real in our books. Plus, you're helping us save our friends."_

_"That's right." Kite nodded with a smile. "Ok…" Reina then looked up and with a smile, she said "I'll do whatever I can to help wake your friends from their comas."_

_"Thanks Reina. Glad we have you on our side." Zoey giggled._

(End Flashback)

"Say, Tomoe?" Kite began. "Yes?" Tomoe turned to Kite. "Do you know Reina?" Kite asked her. Tomoe gasped. "You know Reina?! Where is she?! Is she alright?!" Tomoe asked like an worrywart mom looking for her child who has gone missing.

"First, hear us out, OK?" Zoey told her. Kite with Zoey and Tsusaka's help began explaining to Tomoe.

They told Tomoe everything, about The World, Aura, the powers of Data Drain, how she and other characters from the three animes are TV characters, the comatose victims and the enemy they're facing, the Cursed Wave.

**Tomoe's POV**

**Impossible… I thought. I'm really a fictional character on what they called a TV show? I looked at them in disbelief. If what they say is true, then are my actions really just for entertainment? **

**I started to ask them "Give me proof why I should trust you." Kite and Zoey looked at me seriously till Zoey asked "Do you feel hungry or thirsty?"**

**She was on to something… Upon arriving in this world, I stopped feeling hungry and thirsty… They were telling the truth! I replied with a shocked "I don't feel hungry or thirsty…"**

**"Then you must have been brought here by a rainbow portal." Mimiru stated, walking up to me. The little one called A-20 looked at Mimiru confusedly and asked "Huh? What do you mean, Mimiru?" It was then the girl known as Mimiru began explaining to her about how I got here. Was that rainbow portal conjured up by the Swamp Witch? No… I didn't felt her aura when it appeared.**

**"Wow. So the Girl in White rumor was true. And the comatose victims is not a mere rumor after all." A-20 gasped in awe. Mimiru nodded and said "We got to figure out a way to help them."**

**I was still confused on this Girl in White they were talking about. But I know I cannot ignore their plea for help. I simply replied with "Allow me to help you fight this Cursed Wave."**

**"Really? Thank you so much!" Zoey bowed in gratitude.**

Normal POV

"Right, let's head back to Root Town." Kite suggested, Zoey, Tsusaka and Mimiru nodded as they take Tomoe and warped back to Root Town. A-20 was silent for a moment till she warp out as well.

Back in Root Town

"Tomoe?! Is that really you, Tomoe?" Reina gasped as she ran up to her. "It's good to see you again, Reina." Tomoe smiled. "So, you came here by a rainbow portal too?" Reina asked her.

"Yes. It was unexpected." Tomoe nodded with a frown. "If you came here by that, then the others must be too." Reina figured. "Yes. And Mister Kite and Miss Zoey were kind enough to tell me that the enemy responsible for us being in this world is called the Cursed Wave." Tomoe stated as she looked at the corrupted skies of Sigma server.

"Yeah, I know. But… How do we defeat an enemy that can pull people out of their worlds and into this one?" Reina folded her arms and leaned on a rocky wall in Sigma sever Root Town.

"I was wondering about that too." Mint wondered as she and her friends looked at the skies with Reina and Tomoe. Kite noticed Balmung logging in. "Oh, hey Balmung." Kite waved. "Hello Kite and Zoey." Balmung smiled. He noticed Reina and Tomoe and blushed in embarrassment of Reina's choice of clothes.

"Um…" Balmung muttered, a shade of red appeared on his face. "I-I see you made some new friends from another world." He stated shyly. "Yes. Apparently, they're from an anime called Queen's Blade." Zoey nodded.

Ranpha and Forte couldn't help but stare at Reina's chest and they thought 'Damn it, her chest is bigger than mine…' They folded their arms in unison and pouted at the same time.

"Anyway, I need help defeating some Player Killers in Sigma Young Glorious Battlefield. I just read the Board and found out that the Player Killers are using the chaos The World is enduring to PK innocent players." Balmung stated.

"Player Killers?" Reina and Tomoe asked at the same time. "I have been meaning to ask you, what are Player Killers?" Commander Mearil asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Player Killers are outlaw players who enjoy playing killing. Originally, the Crimson Knights once take care of these troublemakers, but now that they are disbanded, only a few Player Killers occur." Balmung stated.

"Sounds to me they need to be punished. Player Killers are like thieves who prey on the innocent." Reina frowned.

Just then, Yukinari and his friends and Fukuyama's group logged in. "The infection is getting worse…" Kirie stated sadly as she and her friends looked around.

"We better defeat the Cursed Wave soon." Yukinari stated. "Hey! YuYu! MiMi!" Kite waved. "Hey! It's Kite and Zoey. They are with some people I don't remember… and Balmung?!" Koyomi gasped in shock. Yukinari and his group and Fukuyama's group ran up to them.

"What's Balmung doing here?!" Tomoka gawked. "No doubt he's here to spy on us by that pighead Lios!" Lisa growled. Then, Balmung did something that shocked Yukinari and his friends. He bowed his head in apology and said "I am sorry for being hard on you. I know my actions cannot be forgiven, but I am now on your side. I only wish to help the comatose4 victims and Aura."

"Uh… Kite, Zoey-chan…. What the hell happened between you and Balmung the jerk?" Fukuyama asked, his jaw dropped to the floor. Kite and Zoey laughed and told them how Balmung is now their friend and greatest ally, introducing Tsusaka and Mimiru to their friends (Fukuyama tried to grope Mimiru, but she was quick and punched him in the face) and about the Player Killers in Sigma Young Glorious Battlefield.

"Sounds to me these Player Killers need a good ass whooping." Kirie frowned. "Yes. What they're doing is wrong and barbaric. Why? Why are Player Killers hurting innocent people?" Miharu asked worriedly. "Either they do this for fun or profit or revenge. I know one Player Killer who sometimes pisses me off." Mimiru frowned.

Balmung looked at Mimiru seriously and asked "Are you referring to the famous Player Killer, Sora?" "Yeah. Two years ago, we haven't heard from him since. I wonder what happened to him?" Mimiru asked. Tsusaka was also wondering that too.

"Maybe he got banned? Serves him right." Zoey frowned. "I don't know… Maybe it was something else." Kite figured. "Well, we can't just stand here and think about it. We got Player Killers to thwack!" Tomoka swings her axe, missing her friends.

Everyone agreed and after forming their parties, the gang with only Reina and Tomoe included went to Sigma Young Glorious Battlefield.

1 hour has passed.

Kite slashed the the 13th Player Killer, defeating him. The five remaining Player Killers watched in horror as their 13 comrades have fallen to Kite, Zoey and the gang. "Damn it… Who would have thought Balmung of the Azure Sky have help! No matter! Let's Player Kill them!" The leader growled as they charged, but then, suddenly, a red blur appeared and punched and kicked the Player Killers and defeated them.

Kite and the gang got a good look at the woman, she has right, red, long hair, a red headband, with an ornate tight jacket as her top, with a detailed piece going around her neck. She wears black panties and a detailed red belt over them. On her arms she has armguards high up on her arms, with feathers protruding from them. She also as a thigh-length tattoo on her right leg, and sandals.

Fukuyama's eyes turned into hearts and he squealed "I love you!" He dived towards the woman's breasts, but she noticed and kicked him into the ground.

**Unknown Person's POV**

**"Damn perverted strangely dressed creep…" I muttered. Who the hell does he think is, diving into my cleavage like that?!**

**I got a good look at the kid in red as he approached me. He raised his hand when I was about to get my mace ready.**

**"We mean you now harm. Thank you for taking care of those Player Killers." The boy closed his eyes and smiled. Player Killers? I thought. Something tells me I'm not in Grainos anymore.**

**"Eh, don't mention it. Who are you kid?" I asked, shrugging. Then, a girl about almost the same age as the boy walked up. "This is Kite and I'm Zoey. Something tells me you're not from The World." The girl called Zoey figured.**

**The World? What does she mean The World. "If you don't mind, what's your name?" A boy with white hair and gray clothes asked as he stood besides the two.**

**"My name?" Then, I grinned and shouted "The name's Risty, the Bandit of the Wilderness!"**

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Selfish Angel

A/N: Next time, our heroes will meet Nanael and then, after her is Nowa. Stay tuned! Also, EliteSlayer103, thank you for the reviews understanding about a sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew. Bare in mind that I don't have the G.U. trilogy yet, so I may have to order them online. But don't worry, I will do the sequel to this fic following Dot Hack G.U. with Bridget as the main character. The reason for that is I feel that if Zoey is the main character in this fic, and Bridget was the damsel in distress, I should give Bridget the title of main character in the sequel with bigger crossovers. Thank you for your reviews. :)


	54. The Selfish Angel

A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, here is chapter 54!

Chapter 54: The Selfish Angel

We see some players gathering some treasure from the monsters they have defeated. "Hey, Peachgirl25?" A male Twin Blade named Gen asked. "Yes, Gen?" The Wavemaster named Peachgirl25 asked, looking at him in concern.

"The World has changed. Did the hackers really did this? Not to mention there are rumors of monsters that no one has seen before that put players into comas." Gen scratched his chin in thought.

"Of course it was the hackers, silly! You're my big brother and you got to protect me from those mean hackers." Peachgirl25 stated with a smile.

"Well, ok. But what if we ran into the legendary hacker, Helba? Some say those who face her are defeated easily with her hacked stats." Gen looked at the broken skies.

"Tch. Everyone knows that. But we got the world's armies looking for her…" Suddenly, lightning bolts strike near where they were standing. "Wh-Whaaaaaaa! You angered Helba!" Gen wailed.

"L-Let's get out of here, Big Brother!" Peachgirl25 panicked as they dropped the treasure and Gate Out. We turned to the skies to see a girl about 20 years old, has ear length light blue hair and green eyes. She is usually seen wearing the same uniform as other lower ranking angels, which consists of a white camisole with a skirt, polka-dots panties, and steel plate leggings. She also wears a steel gauntlet on her right arm and a long dueling glove on her left, other angels just wear two gloves. A vial of holy milk is usually slung across her waist on a small belt. Her most distinguishing feature are that her wings being asymmetrical in size.

**Angel Girl's POV**

**"Hahahahahaha! Those stupid monkeys fell for it!" I laughed as I flew down and picked up the treasure they have. They were weapons, but who cares? I looked at the weird skies.**

**It's strange… ever since that stupid rainbow portal appeared and taken me, the great Nanael into this weird place, I was so pissed off to the extreme that some wise guy have pulled me into this dumb world.**

**And most of all, are those travelers I have been stealing treasure from. They wore odd clothing. I yawned and lay completely down with my arms behind my head and looked at the skies.**

**"This world is kinda interesting… I'm gonna make it mine." I said to myself. Suddenly, I heard some strange sound appearing almost near me. I quickly got up and saw a bunch of people appearing out of thin air. One of them I recognized, it's that stupid monkey bandit, Risty. What the hell is she doing here in my paradise?!**

**I sighed and smirk to myself as I flew up. This is gonna be fun, I thought to myself.**

(Normal POV)

Kite looked around, his party consisting of himself, Zoey and Tsusaka, Mimiru's party of herself, A-20 and BT and Yuusuke's party and the Baka Trio were watching him.

"Balmung said that Players have been attacked here by lightning bolts." Kite stated as he looked at the burnt marks on the ground. "Could it be Data Bugs?" Zoey asked seriously. "Um, what are Data Bugs?" A-20 asked. "They're like computer viruses that take over a monster's data and make its HP infinite. Only Kite and Zoey have the power to defeat them." Mimiru told her.

"Yeah, I was confused on this whole Data Drain as well when I arrived in this world." Risty stated dully.

**Risty's POV**

**I remember when I first met Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka that they told me all stuff in this world, about how me, Reina and Tomoe were fictional characters in their world, the real world, the Girl in White named Aura, about how their friends fell into a coma, and the enemy we're facing, the Cursed Wave.**

**At first, I thought they were lying, but then Kite told me do I feel hungry or thirsty. He was right, ever since I got here because of that stupid Cursed Wave, I stopped getting hungry and thirsty. God, I need a drink. Problem is, I don't feel fricking thirsty at all!**

**But I couldn't ignore their plea for help. Their friends are in trouble and this girl called Aura may be able to help them. So when I first arrived in Sigma Server's Root town, I was shocked to find my rivals and good friends Reina and Tomoe in this strange world called The World as well.**

**I know we were brought here to this world for a reason and that is to save it from the Cursed Wave. This Cursed Wave better watch out, cause we're gonna give it a ass kicking! I love a good challenge.**

(Normal POV)

Kite and the gang walked towards where Gen and Peachgirl25 once stand before they logged out. Risty got closer to Kite and inspected the burnt marks. After 15 seconds, she frowned. "This wasn't made by a monster or those Data Bugs you mentioned. Something tells me an angel did this."

"Angel? You mean to tell me angels exist?!" Mimiru gasped in shock. "In our world, yes. But I don't get why would an Angel is attacking players. Suddenly, Tsusaka tensed, he got in front of his friends and casted a barrier, dispelling Nanael's lightning bolt attack.

**Nanael's POV**

**"Shit!" I swore, that scream got their attention. Risty noticed me and smirked and asked "Ahoy! Nanael! So it was you attacking those players? Typical of you, eh?"**

**"You know this woman, Rsity-chan? She's definitely my type!" The fat asked, drooling over me already. I smiled to myself, looks like I got a admirer. Hehehe…**

**"Yeah." Risty nodded. "Her name is Nanael, a low rank angel who was banished from heaven for her misdeeds and is forced to carry a bottle of holy milk. If she lets it all drop, she'll be sent straight to hell, according to Reina." Risty stated with a frown, folding her arms.**

**I gritted my teeth angrily. Reina, you…! I know I was supposed to be her guardian angel, but does she have to mention my woes?!**

**The boy in red looked up and stated "Listen, Nanael… I want to ask you something." I looked at the boy in red in question. If he was my age, I would definitely make him my slave.**

**"Nanael, the reason you were brought into this world is because of the Cursed Wave." The boy in red stated. "Cursed Wave?" I asked, confused as I lay back and hovered in the air.**

**"Nanael, my name is Kite and this is my friend, Zoey. Listen to what I am about to tell you. Nanael, you're a TV character from a TV show called Queen's Blade brought here by the Cursed Wave." The boy in red named Kite stated.**

**Is he really serious? Me? What they called a TV character? I was silent for about 1 minute till I laughed really hard. "Why would I believe a monkey like you?!" I asked amused.**

**"Do we have to fight you to make you believe us?" Zoey frowned, pointing her sword at me. "You're actually challenging moi, the great Nanael?" I smirked as I got my sword ready by telepathy. **

**"You may be an angel, Nanael, but you're a bad one!" The purple haired girl growled as she pointed a finger at me.**

**I have an anger vein on my forehead and I shouted "Ok! Monkeys, you asked for it!" I fired energy arrows at Kite and Zoey, but the boy in grey casted a spell to repel my arrows at me.**

**I yelped as I dodged them. I gulped at what would my energy arrows would do to me if they impale me. I growled as I slam my foot into Kite's face, but he was quick and dodge rolled out of the way. I quickly stopped myself and glared at Kite.**

**That boy is starting to piss me off… However, before I can attack, Zoey sneak up behind me and slashed me five times. Gah! I held my wound. But to my surprise, I'm not bleeding or anything! I mean, angels can bleed, but in this case… The hell?!**

**Why the hell am I not bleeding?! I thought to myself vigorously. I snarled and used my sword to make multiple copies of it and flung them at Zoey. But for some damn reason, she dodged them all!**

**My jaw dropped to the floor in utter shock. I failed to notice Kite slamming his foot down into my face, knocking me into a boulder.**

**"Ow…" I moaned as I rubbed my head in pain. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and charged at Kite, but then, Risty got in and head locked me.**

**"Slow learner, ain't ya Nanael?" Risty closed her eyes and grinned. "L-Let me go! Or you'll suffer the consequences!" I growled.**

**Kite put away his swords and asked me "Nanael, do you feel hungry or thirsty?" I blinked at what he said. Come to think of it… I don't feel hungry or thirsty at all when I first arrived in this world!**

**I looked at Kite and Zoey, then back to Risty, then back to the two again and I sighed in defeat and muttered "You do have a point… I believe you, yada yada, yada…"**

**"Good, now hear us out." The purple haired girl stated with a smile.**

**They told me everything, about this girl named Aura, about how Kite and Zoey's friends: Orca and Bridge fell into a coma due to a power they have and the signs of the Cursed Wave they have faced, the 8 Phases. Apparently, they have five left to face.**

**"…And that's why we need to defeat them to cure The World back to normal. Please, will you help us?" Zoey begged. I looked at those pleading eyes. Damn it, they remind me of Melpha.**

**Those pleading eyes… For once, I felt guilty for taking advantage of others. After 1 minute, I sighed and stated "You will have my help." "That's great news!" The brown haired girl with the big bust cheered. But that masked red haired girl, she stared at me with those eyes and calm smile.**

**I sighed again. This is gonna be a loooongg day…**

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Guardian of the Forest

A/N: Next up is Nowa, then Alleyne. So stay tuned!


	55. The Guardian of the Forest

Chapter 55: The Guardian of the Forest

Kite, Zoey and BT were venturing in a forest area. Kite was checking for any signs of monsters. Suddenly, he stopped. "Hmm, what's up?" BT asked him. Kite looked at his friends in concern. "Don't you get the feeling we're being watched?" He asked them.

"Huh, come to think of it. We were being watched…" Zoey rubbed the top of her in confusion. Suddenly, hers and Kite's bracelets shined golden again. "Hmm? The bracelets didn't do that before." BT asked, looking at the bracelets in awe.

"It means there must be an otherworlder here." Zoey stated seriously. "You mean like Reina, Kan'u, Milfeulle and the others?!" BT's eyes widen in shock. "Yeah. So we better look for him or her." Kite nodded as he, Zoey and BT pressed forward.

When they reached the third area of the forest, they activated a magic portal and five plant monsters appeared. "Hmph. This will be over in a flash. OrGan Zot!" BT casted a spell and the ground burst over and a flash occurred, giving the monsters elemental crtiticals.

"Hayabusa!" Zoey spins like a tornado with her sword and giving the first monster some damage, killing it.

"Twin Dragon!" Kite shouted, giving the second plant monster some damage, killing it as well.

BT casted OrGan Zot again and finished off the remaining monsters. The roots blocking the doors disappeared. Kite and Zoey looked around.

"There are no sign of the person we're looking for." Kite frowned. "I think our bracelets will glow rapidly when we get nearer to the person. He/she must not be too far ahead." Zoey figured.

"Hmm. That's a good theory, Zoey. Let us continue on." BT nodded as the three of them entered the next area.

The next area has a magic portal and when they activated it, they got a blue treasure chest. Kite used Fortune's Wire and disabled the trap. He opened it and picked up swords that looked like the ones he used when he first started playing the game.

"Alright! These look like the weapons I started out with when I first started playing The World, only better!" Kite grinned as he equipped them. BT nodded and stated "Those are called Ankokushiki, they are of the dark element. Use them well."

"Don't worry, Kite will put them to good use." Zoey smiled. The party head into the next area.

They stood before the dungeon's entrance. Kite and Zoey raised their hands up and the bracelets' golden glowed brighter. "Could the person be inside the dungeon?" Zoey wondered as she and her friends looked at the dungeon's entrance.

"Only one way to find out. Let's head into there." BT suggested, the two nodded as they entered the dungeon.

The first one has nothing in it. Kite and Zoey held out their bracelets and they showed the left. "This way." Kite stated, they headed left.

The next room has a magic portal. The magic portal disappeared and three lich like sorcerers appeared. "They can cast status effects, be careful!" BT advised. "Right." Zoey nodded as she got out her sword. The liches casted thunder spells on them, giving them large damage.

"Damn it!" Kite growled as he readies a spell. He knew thunder attacks won't work on these monsters, so he quickly switched to equipment that has dark spells. He shouted "OrmeAni Zot!" Darkness erupted from below the liches and hit them for elemental damage.

One of the liches casted a confusion spell on Zoey. Zoey couldn't control her body as she lashes out at Kite and BT.

BT quickly used a Restortive on her, curing her of her confused state. Zoey leaped into the air and slashed the first lich in half, killing it.

"Twin Dragon!" Kite spins like a tornado and killed the remaining liches. The doors opened. Kite and Zoey held out their bracelets and they pointed it at the right door. The bracelets glowed gold even brighter.

"Let's take this path." Zoey suggested, Kite and BT nodded in agreement as they took the right path.

After going through three more paths and fighting monsters. They stood towards the stairway to the next floor. Nodding to each other, the party walked down the stairs and entered the next floor.

Kite and Zoey wondered about who this person is that is sucked into The World. Could he/she be another anime character from either Koihime Musou, Galaxy Angel or Queen's Blade? They won't know unless they find out. Right now, they have to find this person and save him/her from the monsters.

BT knew Kite and Zoey were special, but not this special. How did they know Aura? How is it they were able to rewrite monsters' data and hack into Protected Areas? And could it be connected to the Epitaph of Twilight? She knew she needs answers and someone in The World might answer them for her.

**Girl's POV**

**I was struggling against a sand monster, my partner Lou protected me from the attacks, but for how long, I do not know. I panted heavily as I extended my staff and bashed the monster five times with it. It gave medium damage and suddenly, I noticed something strange about it. It was covered in green hue or whatever it is.**

**The sand monster raised its fists and knocked me into a wall. Lou fell beside me, unconscious. I looked up weakly as the monster was getting closer and closer.**

**"N-No… Te-Teacher… Save me…" I muttered weakly. Suddenly, I heard a voice shouting "Data Drain!" It was a boy's voice. And in a flash, the sand monster was nothing but a cute little monster. Then, a girl in purple appeared and slashed the monster, what was really weird though is the monster vanished instead of falling over and die.**

**"That was a close one!" The girl in purple sighed in relief. "For a moment there, our little friend could have become ghost when she dies in The World after arriving in it." A woman who has yellow hair and wore green clothes nodded as she and other two walked towards me.**

**"S-Stay back!" I cried out. The boy in red smiled and extended his hand. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you." He reassured me. Those eyes… They remind me of Teacher when we first met. I wonder if he's an elf too despite wearing odd clothes.**

**"Hold on. Let me heal you up. Pha Repth." The woman in green stated as she casted something. Was it magic? In a instant, my injuries and Lou's injuries were all gone! I feel good!**

**I got up after taking the boy in red's hand and he helped me up. I stretched out, feeling my body back to its normal state after that hard battle. Lou climbed up the girl in purple and got on top of her hair.**

**"Hehehe! I never noticed a cute pink monkey like him before! What's his name?" The girl in purple smiled as she scratched Lou's chin, he smiled as he feels relaxed. "His name is Lou. He's my friend from the forest." I smiled.**

**"I'm Kite. This is Zoey and BT. What's your name?" The boy known as Kite asked with a reassuring smile. I smiled back and said "My name is Nowa, the Guardian of the Forest."**

To be continued…

Next time: The Teacher Warrior

A/N: Next up is Alleyne, then Ymir. So stay tuned!


	56. The Teacher Warrior

Chapter 56: The Teacher Warrior

Kite looked at Nowa. She was a girl about 14 years old or something like that, has tan or white skin, but the most notable features are her ears. Nowa wears orange armguards. She wears an orange outfit with white cloth that covers her breasts and a skirt with nothing underneath. Kite couldn't help but blush at the choice of clothes she was wearing.

"Um… Nowa…. What are you doing here in this dungeon all alone with that monkey?" Kite asked, trying his best to look away from Nowa's revealing clothes.

"Hmm…" Nowa placed her hand on her chin in thought. "Well, I was traveling with Teacher during the Queen's Blade when all of a sudden, I see a shiny stone. I liked to collect shiny stones, you see. When I got to get it, a strange rainbow like portal appeared and sucked in me and Lou. When we awoke, we found ourselves in a strange land that I have never seen before." Nowa looked down.

"Hmm, just as I thought… You're from Queen's Blade…" BT stated. "Huh? Are you challengers from Queen's Blade?" Nowa blinked. "No. Listen, Nowa. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but in reality, you're a TV character on a show called Queen's Blade." BT stated, trying to explain to the half elf about her world which is watched by people of a certain age.

"Huh?" Nowa blinked even more. BT sighed and explained it to her again about her world which is a TV show watched by people that are older. She also told her that Nowa's character was design by an artist for the show.

"…" Nowa looked down in sadness. "M-Mister Kite?" Nowa asked, she looks like she's about to go into tears. "Yes?" Kite asked; concern for the monkey girl. "Am… Am my actions really my own? W-Will I do bad things if I don't follow what those writers do for me?" Nowa sniffled. Zoey placed her hand on Nowa's shoulder.

"Nowa… Tell me, what did you do before arriving in our world?" Zoey asked in a motherly voice. "Well, I woke up in the morning, eat breakfast by eating delicious fruit, then I trained and travel with Teacher."

"And you liked shiny stones and being with this Teacher, right?" Zoey smiled. She remembered when she first met her friend, Bridge, Bridge was in doubt of herself and Zoey and Corina helped cheer her up by being her true friends. She knew Nowa was like Bridge and she's doing the same thing to cheer her up.

"Y-Yes. What do you mean?" Nowa asked, hoping for a positive answer. "The point is, it doesn't matter if you're a TV character or not. You're real to us and yourself. You do things that are not followed by the script or whatever. You enjoy eating. You enjoy collecting shiny stones. And you liked Teacher. That's proof that you're real." Zoey smiled as she ruffled with Nowa's hair.

Nowa smiled brightly and nodded and said "OK!" "Good, now let's get out of here." Kite smiled as they warped out.

Back at Root Town…

"Miss Reina! Miss Risty! Miss Tomoe! And Miss Nanael! It's so nice to see you again!" Nowa waved cheerfully as she ran up to them, Risty clinched in fear as she backed away a bit, her fear of monkeys knows no limits.

"Um, what's wrong with Miss Risty?" Chohi asked BT. "Oh, she has a fear of monkeys. The writers put that in Queen's Blade to make it more appealing." BT stated.

"Aw, Risty. Don't be afraid of little Lou." Nanael laughed. "S-Shut it, angel girl! Monkeys are evil! Don't be fooled by their appearance! Sure, they looked cute, but inside are demonic hearts of darkness! They'll grope you and steal your food!" Risty gritted her teeth in fear and anger.

"Lou wouldn't do that! I swear!" Nowa pleaded, feeling sorry for Risty for her fear of monkeys.

"We're just glad you're safe. That's all that matters." Tomoe closed her eyes and smiled. Nowa looked at the corrupted skies of Sigma Server. "What's going on? What are those weird green and black things in the sky? Is it true? The sky has fallen?" Nowa asked confusedly. Most of the gang looked at Nowa in confusion.

"It is because of the Cursed Wave…" Kite frowned. "The… Cursed Wave?" Nowa asked, shivering. Kite, Zoey and BT told Nowa everything, about the Girl in White named Aura, how Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka's friends have fallen into a coma because of the Cursed Wave, the powers of Data Drain and three of the 8 signs they have recently defeated.

"Oh my! Your friends are in trouble because of this Cursed Wave?" Nowa gasped in shock and horror. Kite nodded and stated "That's why we need to release Aura and find a way to defeat the Cursed Wave."

Then, Yuusuke, his friends and the Baka Trio logged in. Tenjin noticed Nowa and he squealed in delight. In a instant, he rushed over to Nowa and held her hands. "What's your name?" Tenjin asked eagerly.

"Um…" Nowa blushed nervously. "Nowa… My name is Nowa." "Nowa… Will you be my little sister?!" Tenjin begged.

"I'm sorry, what?" Nowa blinked. "Oh Tenjin…" Nanael asked sweetly. "Y-Yes Nanael-san?" Tenjin gulped. "Can you fetch me some Heath Drinks?" She winked. "Y-Yes madam!" Tenjin's ears blows out steam of enjoyment as he rushed towards the Chaos Gate and selected Delta Server and warped there. Nanael laughed again and said "Works every time."

What the gang failed to notice that someone is approaching them. She has long elf ears, blonde hair, wore a red beret with the lower part having four leaf clover patterns. She wears an elegant red and gold cloak, and underneath that she has a short green elven shirt and sleeves with bracers with darker green ends. On her lower body she has a short green elven skirt with a small white cloth and a belt with four leaf clovers and a four leaf celtic-designed clover buckle. On her legs she wears green thigh-high elven boots.

**Female Elf's POV 5 minutes before Kite and his friends returned with Nowa**

**This world… It's different from our world. I walked on the green concrete structure of the area they called Fort Ouph. Those strangely dressed warriors were kind enough to tell me where I am. I am in what they called a video game called The World.**

**But the strange part is… They told me that I was a player based on a character from what they called a TV show called Queen's Blade…**

**I still don't understand… Queen's Blade a TV show? And I looked like one of the characters from that show? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. **

**But… the strangest part is the sky and ground. They show bits of red with numbers on them and the sky looked broken for some reason. I must seek answers.**

**I notice a gathering of players near what they called the Chaos Gate. Odd name for such a structure… Suddenly, I notice who the players were talking to…**

**It was Reina, the noble warrior with a just heart, Risty the bandit with a heart of gold, Tomoe, the foreigner from Himanato, Nanael, the selfish angel and…**

**No, it couldn't be… Nowa?! Nowa noticed me and gasped happily. She ran up to me, her friends from Queen's Blade and the players followed. "Teacher! You're OK!" Nowa squealed as she hugged me.**

**"It's good to see you too, Nowa." I smiled as I patted her on the head. "Nowa, is she a friend of yours?" The boy in red asked. "Yes. This is my teacher, Alleyne also known as the Fighting Master." Nowa introduce me to her new friends. Suddenly, a fat boy wearing ridiculous clothes ran up to me and inspected my body.**

**I frowned as I used my staff to bash him in the head, knocking him out.**

**"Nowa. Who are your friends? Especially the boy in red and girl in purple…" I asked, wanting to know about Nowa's new friends. "This is Kite and Zoey. They're on a mission to defeat the Cursed Wave and save their friends." Nowa stated.**

**"Hmm… And what is this Cursed Wave?" I asked, folding my arms. **

**"The Cursed Wave is an evil force mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight. At first, I thought they didn't exist, but now look at what the Cursed Wave did." The blond woman pointed to the skies. I thought 'Did the Cursed Wave really do this?' But that blond woman was not lying. Something evil is lurking within this world and the broken skies were a example of it…**

**"The Cursed Wave put two plus a friend of ours' friend into a coma in the real world. We're formulating a plan to defeat the Cursed Wave and save our friends. And I believe these can help us." Zoey smiled as she and Kite raised their arms and made two strange green bracelets appear on their arms.**

**"W-What are those?" I gasped in awe. "According to Kite and Zoey. These bracelets allow them to rewrite a monster's data. Data Drain if I recalled correctly." Tomoe explained.**

**"I see…" I nodded, understanding the situation at hand. "Then it is our only option to defeat this Cursed Wave." "And it's all thanks to Aura who gave them their powers!" A brown haired girl with a strange outfit and a spear on her back beamed. I raised an eyebrow. "Aura?" I asked.**

**Kite and Zoey told me about who Aura is… She was called the Girl in White by players in this game, and how she is in pieces. I was in doubt about this. But they showed me the bracelets and that's proof that they're telling me the truth. If the Cursed Wave is capable ot pulling people out of their worlds into this one, then it must be a powerful foe stronger than the Swamp Witch…**

**"Very well." I smiled. "Kite, Zoey. I will aid you in your quest to stop the Cursed Wave and save your friends." "Sugoi! We got another friend on our side!" A girl with short chestnut hear cheered. I smiled again, perhaps this will be worthwhile after all.**

Meanwhile, with Morganna…

Morganna sensed that Naraku is no more. "Hmph! The demon of malice was nothing but all talk after all… Aura once again interferes with my plans to destroy the five worlds…"

There was silence for a moment. "Perhaps I can use a new tool." She made a screen appear and it shows Kikyo with her spirits walking around a field. "Yes… Yes, she would do…" Morganna stated evilly.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Determined Dwarf

A/N: Whew! Sorry about the delay everyone! I recently stupidly uninstalled my Word 2007 so I had to do everything I can to get it back. You won't believe the hassle I went through to get it back on my computer. So hopefully, I won't do it again. Anyway, my Outlook account is blocked for some stupid reason so I'll be using Gmail till I figure out a way to get my Outlook account unblocked. So enough about my troubles. Here's what's next on Dot Hack Mew Mew:

Kite and Zoey will meet Ymir in a low level field and she will develop a rivalry with our heroes before she joins them. She will join them at the end the chapter. So stay tuned for more updates!


	57. The Determined Dwarf

A/N: We're getting close to 100 reviews! Anyway, before we start the chapter with Ymir in it, I would like to go over some reviews I need to answer or comment on. They're presented in Bold

**TheNew959: Thank you for your continuing support of my stories! I'm glad you liked them and enjoy them on a regular basic. Anyway, the fight between heroes and stuff… I'll think about it. Maybe in the sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew called Dot Hack GU Mew Mew with Bridget as the main character.**

**EliteSlayer103: Hmm, your ideas are good, but some might not make it into the sequel depending on how I feel. Anyway, I'm glad you reviewed my Dot Hack Mew Mew story. I really appreciated it. I hope you continue to read it till the very end.**

**Guest: Don't worry, I already made a list at the beginning of the story so I won't run out of crossovers.**

**Guest number 2: Hmm, good choices for the sequel to said story. I will consider that.**

**Cooking samurai: Thank you for the reviews. Plus, I know you're busy, but you haven't read and review my Dot Hack Mew Mew story in awhile. So please review when you get the chance.**

**Masterart: Hmm, I'm not a big fan of western games, so a Epic Mickey/Mew Mew Power crossover is out of the question. Sorry.**

Anyway, that's all I got for the reviews. Here is chapter 56!

* * *

Chapter 57: The Determined Dwarf

Kite and Zoey were taking Nowa and Alleyne on a tour around Mac Anu, Delta Server. Since arriving in The World, both Nowa and Alleyne were level 1, so Kite and Zoey decided to take them to Mac Anu, Delta Server.

"…And that's the magic shop. There, you can buy magic scrolls to help you out in the dungeons." Zoey stated. "Wow! That's really nice!" Nowa beamed. "Mmm…" Alleyne nodded. Suddenly, two players noticed Nowa and Alleyne and walked up to them.

"Say… I never seen character designs like that before. They looked like they're from the hit anime Queen's Blade." The Heavy Axeman named Gutton255 asked, inspecting Nowa's clothes.

"Yeah. And there's a character that looked like the hot elf, Alleyne!" A Twin Blade named 555handsome drooled. Alleyne frowned as she did her best to look away. Soon, some players gathered around Kite, Zoey, Alleyne and Nowa.

"Where did you design those Queen's Blade like characters?" A male Blademaster asked. "Maybe I can get my girlfriend to look like Alleyne." A male Long Arm figured as he folded his arms.

"Oh brother… They seem interested in Alleyne and Nowa." Kite frowned. "W-What should we do? They won't leave us alone if we ask nicely…" Nowa was nervous as she shifted nervously. Suddenly, the virtual wind blows, lifting Nowa's skirt.

Every male player who saw that has virtual nose bleeds and real world nose bleeds as they fainted. Well… except for Kite who along with Zoey were shocked to see that Nowa doesn't wear any underwear.

"N-Nowa?! Why aren't you wearing any underwear?!" Kite stuttered, still in shock as the virtual wind died down. "It's the way of the elves." Nowa closed her eyes and smiled proudly. Kite and Zoey clinched and shuddered. Alleyne sighed and stated "We better get out of here before these perverted players wake up…"

"Alleyne has a point. Let's try random keywords to go to a level 15 Area." Zoey nodded as the four of them head towards the Chaos Gate and selected keywords that point to the level 15 area, they warped there.

Crim logged in, he was intrigued on Tsusaka's new friends and the strange powers they have. He learned from Mimiru that Kite and Zoey were taking their new friends to Mac Anu. However, when he got there, he sees bunch of male players passed out in the ground, they have relaxed expressions on their faces.

"What the…?" Crim's left eye twitched. "Just what happened here?" he muttered as he looked around for Kite, Zoey, Alleyne and Nowa.

* * *

The area Kite and the gang were in was a Woods type area. Nowa looked around in awe. "Wow… This is different from that dungeon I woke up in." Lou got on top of Nowa's head and looked at the scenery in awe as well.

"So, where do we fight monsters to earn what you called EXP?" Alleyne turned to Kite and Zoey for an answer. "Well, you have to find magic portals and get near them to make monsters appear. But sometimes, treasure chests appear." Kite stated as he ran off towards a magic portal, his friends followed behind.

When they got near, a big mushroom monster with a mouth appeared. "Good, a excellent choice for beginners." Zoey smiled as she and the others ready themselves. Suddenly, Alleyne's ears heard something. Frowning, she turned to see a little girl running towards the monster.

The little girl wore a pink puffy dress, with puffy white and blue stripes. She has a white bra covering the area where the dress ends, and on her right arm she has a plate gauntlet and and plate boots. Underneath the boots she has white folded cuffs with pink ends, and underneath that she has white thigh-highs. She also wielded a huge battle axe.

She immediately recognized who the girl is, it was the Dwarf princess, Ymir. Ymir let out a war cry as she leaped into the air and slams her axe down on the mushroom monster, giving it medium damage.

"Huh?" Kite blinked, turning to face the dwarf girl. "Hey!" Kite interjected. Ymir got into a battle stance. "Shut up… I'm trying to advertise my axe here." She said coldly as she charged at the monster again, dodging every swipe it flung at her.

"H-Hey! You can't just tell us what to do! We were about to fight that monster!" Zoey growled, an anger vein on her forehead. Ymir landed a few feet and glared at Zoey. "Well tooooo bad!" Ymir used her finger to lower her eyelid and stick her tongue at Zoey, making the Blademaster blow steam out of her ears.

But then, the mushroom monster caught Ymir off guard and slams her into a rock, Ymir grunted as she weakly got up. Zoey leaped into the air and slashed the monster five times with her sword, defeating it. Nowa and Alleyne got a hefty dose of EXP to get them ready to level up.

* * *

**Ymir's POV**

**Who does that girl think she is?! I growled as I recover quickly and dusted myself off. The boy in red ran up to me and looked at me with a stern. "What were you thinking?! Fighting a monster at level 1?!" He snapped at me. I was taken aback by his words.**

**Level 1? What does he mean by that? I frowned deeper and stated "I was trying to advertise my axe till your stupid weird looking friend here interfered. Next time, be more respectful to your elders!" I snapped as I ran off, leaving the boy and girl confused.**

**I got near one of those weird portals and out appeared three ugly women monsters with wands. I smiled as I got ready. However, before I got a chance to attack, I failed to notice one of the monsters chanting a spell. Suddenly, I can't control my body!**

**W-What the?! I gawked as I swing my axe around randomly, smashing bits of ground. Got… to… keep… focus… I thought to myself, but it was no use… I wasn't in control of my body due to those vile things!**

**'H-Help…' I thought… I… Never… wanted help… but… now I do… Suddenly, I feel a tingly sensation as I regain control of my body. "What just happened?" I blinked, looking at my hands as I flex my muscles, okay not beef muscles like men have when they work out, but normal pretty muscles we women and girls have, hehe!**

**Suddenly, lightning bolts hit the monsters who did this to me, killing them. Before I can get a grip of what's going on, I notice a golden aura around me and then, out of nowhere, golden words saying "Level up!" appeared. I was even more confused! Just what is this place that weird stupid rainbow like portal taken me?!**

**I turned around to find out who saved me. I frowned as I know who they are; it's the stupid boy in red and dumb girl in purple! They ran up to me. "Are you alright?" The girl in purple asked me, checking for wounds. I slap her hand away and shouted "I never needed your help! I was just doing fine till you showed up!"**

**"Oh yes, fighting monsters while they cast confused on you is a way of fighting monsters…" The boy in red smirked tauntingly. My face was red from both embarrassment and anger. They have no idea what I have been through to try to get my axes to sell!**

**I raised my fist, reared it back and socked the boy in red in the kisser! And with that, I stormed off, really ticked off that I didn't get to show people my axe!**

**10 minutes later, I sat down near a tree, looking down. I was feeling depress. I looked at the strange and broken sky. "What should I do? I can't return to the Iron Mountain like this… The dwarfs and Father will laugh at me and say…"**

**'There's that failure Ymir!'**

**'How weak… Guess she's all talk and no bite after all!'**

**'Her business was doomed from the start!'**

**'I'm very disappointed in you, Ymir. You have disgraced the dwarfs with that weak determination….'**

**I closed my eyes and sniffled. Why do I have a horrible life?!**

**Suddenly, I heard… "Don't give up, Ymir!" H-Huh? I looked up to see the boy in red and girl in purple with smiles on their faces.**

**"W-Why are you two here? Are you gonna make fun of me again?" I asked bitterly through tears. "Ymir, if you really want to prove to your world that axes are the best from your family, you got to believe." The boy in red stated.**

**"I… got to believe?" I looked at them oddly. "Brute force won't always show people how strong axes are. You got to show them the ups and downs of axes. Not all weapons are perfect, ya know." The girl in purple stated as she placed her hands behind her head.**

**"R-Really?" I asked, getting up. "What you need is good business advertising. I learned from TV shows that showing the pros and cons of items will attract customers, and if they don't like it, you can try harder to make it even better." The boy in red smiled as he extended his hand.**

**I was silent for a moment, maybe about 20 seconds, and then I accepted the boy in red's hand. I looked away and said "I never thought about that… Maybe I need to advertise my axes not by brute force, but another way and get some people to help me advertise my axes. But… One thing that bothers me… How do you two know my name?"**

**Then, I heard a familiar childish voice. "Ymir! I'm glad you're okay!" Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground. It was Nowa! I groaned as I lay down there, exhausted from Nowa's tackle hug. "It's… nice to see you again, Nowa…" I moaned as the boy in red and girl in purple laughed and another familiar face came in, it was Nowa's teacher, Alleyne of the forest.**

**"You still got a lot to learn, Ymir, 10 points." She smirked. I groaned again. I may have some advice, but Alleyne… still lectures me like I'm some child… Oh well…**

To be continued…

Next chapter: A Devoted Mother

* * *

A/N: Well, next chapter is Cattelya and Rana, and then Elina Vance. Also, I need your thoughts on this:

**What do you think of the two mini-arcs in Arc 3?**

**Should I add more Koihime Musou characters like those three pink haired girls?**

**Since I don't know much about Toradora, should I put School Rumble in its place?**

**What are your favorite scenes so far in Dot Hack Mew Mew?**

I'm not discontinuing the fic, mind you, but I want to know what you, the reviewers want in this story. Till then, see you next time!


	58. A Devoted Mother

A/N: Here is the heartwarming chapter 58. This time, Balmung and Tsusaka will be focused on in this chapter, but don't worry! Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka will be focused again in the next chapter! Also, at the end I will put in the list of crossovers to appear in Dot Hack GU Mew Mew, the soon to be sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew!

* * *

Chapter 58: A Devoted Mother

"So, let me get this straight…" Ymir sat down on the ground in Sigma Server, her axe beside her. Kan'u, the Galaxy Angels, Reina and their groups were filling in on what's happening so far.

"We have been pulled into this world called The World where our lives were watched by people in this… real world and the ones responsible for us being in The World is an enemy mentioned in a epic poem called the Cursed Wave and Kite, Zoey and this Tsusaka guy who's really a girl in real life are on a mission to defeat the Cursed Wave to wake up their friends who are in a coma because of the Cursed Wave, huh?" Ymir said what they told her while she was playing with her pigtails.

"Hey, I didn't believe it at first till they told me." Nanael muttered as she laid back and yawned. "I…I find it hard to believe that we're just merely fictional characters in this world…" Ymir stated as she looked at the corrupted skies of Sigma Server.

"Yeah. I hope I find cute guys in this world…" Ranpha stated as she placed her hands on her hips and looked around bored. "The World… a vast mystery…" Vanilla stated emotionlessly.

"We have no idea what the Cursed Wave looked like nor do we know where to find it. But still, I wonder if it is connected to this Morganna Mode Gone found on our computers back home…" Normad stated in a matter of fact tone.

Kan'u nearly dropped her spear. "Wait a minute, talking stuff animal! Did you just say… Morganna Mode Gone?!" Bacho gawked, her eyes white dotted in shock. "Er… Yes, why?" Normad asked, hoping he doesn't get a pounding by the mature girls.

"When we gained Balmung's trust, he told us about that name, Morganna Mode Gone before he showed us the strange room." Kochu stated, Rin looked at her mother with those cute eyes, Milfeulle couldn't help but squealed at the cute baby of Kochu.

"So Morganna Mode Gone is from this world…" Cho'un frowned as she stood up. "But can the person responsible for all this be capable of traveling through dimensions, just to hack computers and sucked in people from those dimension?" Commander Mearii adjusted her glasses and frowned.

"This doesn't make any sense. Just who is this Morganna Mode Gone?" Maribu stated worriedly.

"I guess… We need to find out more…" Ganryo stated as she folded her arms.

* * *

Not too long ago, Tsusaka invited Balmung to go on a quest with him. He accepted and they formed a party of two and went to a water area.

Balmung sheathed his sword as the last monster died and disappeared, leaving behind a treasure chest. "That wasn't so hard." Tsusaka commented. Balmung nodded as they pressed on. Suddenly, they heard a little boy's cry for help.

"Hear that?" Balmung stated. "Yeah. Sounds like it's a boy's voice crying out for help." Tsusaka nodded as the two of them head towards the dungeon.

When they entered the dungeon, they see a boy maybe about 6 years old, has black hair, wore clothes with no underwear underneath, black shoes and has a headband of some sort on his head running up to Balmung and Tsusaka.

"What's a child doing here?" Tsusaka wondered as the boy ran up to them, panting. "P-Please, you got to help my mom!" He begged.

"Your mother?" Balmung asked, folding his arms. "Y-Yes… We woke up in some strange land and she and I went to find some people, but when we entered this dungeon, she was ambushed by monsters on the second floor…" The boy whimpered as he used his elbow to wipe his tears.

Tsusaka looked at the boy. He flashes back to the real world where he was sobbing over his mother's grave. 'No… I won't let what happened to my mother happened to this boy's mother!' He turned to Balmung with a determined look and shouted "Balmung, we have to help her!"

"I know." Balmung nodded. Tsusaka leaned down and looked at the boy with a reassuring smile. "What is your name?" He asked in a fatherly voice. "R-Rana…" Rana introduced himself shyly.

"Alright then, Rana. Lead the way." Balmung nodded as the three of them head deeper into the dungeon.

1 hour later…

"Vak Rom!" Tsusaka shouted as thunder bolts hit the monsters, killing them, saving Rana's mother. "They hardly put up a fight." Balmung commented as he sheathed his sword. Tsusaka, Balmung and Rana looked at the woman.

She is a muscular, mature looking woman with black hair in a ponytail and blue eyes behind glasses. The most distinguishing feature of Cattleya is her enormous bust which is restrained behind a purple apron-like dress.

* * *

**Rana's Mother's POV**

**I sighed for a moment before sitting down. Whoever those warriors are, they saved me from the monsters who were hurting me. But the odd thing is, I don't feel pain somewhat nor did I bleed… What is this place the rainbow like portal has taken me?**

**"Mom!" I heard Rana's voice as he ran up to me. "Rana! You're ok!" I gasped happily as I hugged my son tightly, never letting him go.**

**"You had us worried there for a moment." The man who looked like an angel smiled. "If your son hasn't reached us before the doors closed where you are, you would have been in serious trouble." He stated.**

**"I… I don't know how to thank you brave warriors. Are you perhaps merchants advertising for the Queen's Blade?" I asked, wanting to know how they wore such odd clothing.**

**"Queen's Blade? Are you a friend of Reina?" The boy who wields a strange staff asked, looking at my bust, blushing. I don't blame him, I was born this way.**

**"Reina? Are you two perhaps good friends with my favorite customer, Reina?" I asked with a smile. "So you're a Queen's Blade contestant. My name is Balmung of the Azure Sky, one of the Descendants of Fianna. This here is my party member, Tsusaka." The angel man named Balmung introduced himself and the one called Tsusaka. Such strange names, and one of them has a title.**

**"Mom, they were really good. They used weird spells and swords I never seen before." Rana asked with a cheerful smile. "Is that so?" I smiled again as I ruffled Rana's hair.**

**"May we ask your name please?" Tsusaka with a reassuring smile.**

**I stood up and bowed politely and said "Cattleya, the Weapon Merchant at your service."**

To be continued…

Next chapter: A Sister's Love

* * *

A/N: Next up is the comical encounter with Yuki's fanclub and Elina Vance, can our heroes defeat Yuki's fan club and get Elina on their side? Also, here is the list of crossovers to appear in Dot Hack GU Mew Mew:

Nanoha

Tales of Vesperia

Hyperdimension Neptunia

Cross Edge

Fullmetal Alchemist

Bleach

Naruto

One Piece

Sword Art Online

Haruhi Suzumiya

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

Akkian

Beyblade

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Queen's Blade Rebellion

Sailor Moon

Digimon

Pokemon

Higurashi

Negima

And finally, Azumanga Daioh

So what do you guys think? Tell me on your reviews, please? I really need the reviews. I don't mind continuing with less reviews, but I really need the reviews. Ok, enough lamenting from me, see you next time!


	59. A Sister's Love

Chapter 59: A Sister's Love

Balmung, Tsusaka, Cattleya and Rana appeared in Sigma Server's Root Town. They see their otherworldly friends running up to them. Reina gasped as she sees who is with Balmung and Tsusaka.

"C-Cattelya?! Rana?! Is that you?" She gasped happily as she ran up to them. "Miss Reina! It's good to see you again!" Rana waved cheerfully. "Hello Reina. How is the improvements to your sword been treating you?" Cattelya closed her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, they're doing great. I'm glad I let you make a new sword and improved it by tempering it for me." Reina grinned. Kan'u's group, Sousou's group, Enshou's group and the Galaxy Angels couldn't help but stare at Cattelya's cleavage.

"T-They're huge…" Ryubi muttered with the white dotted eye look. Kan'u was also shocked as she began touching her breasts like attempting to make them bigger, but she sighed.

"H-How did she get such big boobies…" Bacho also has the white dotted eye shocked face as she fell down. "They say breasts come in shapes and sizes depending on the woman's growth. This must be one of them." Cho'un stated.

"Well, she is a mother after all." Kochu closed her eyes and smiled. Rin giggled. "W-Well still…" Chohi also has the white dotted eye shock look on her face as well as she stuttered. Komei sighed.

Mint's ears flap in shock as she sees Cattelya's big breasts and worries if she will be crushed by them. Milfeulle imagines Cattelya's breasts to be two big boulders in her body while Ranpha and Forte were envy with jealously.

Sousou was fascinated by the breasts of the Weapon Merchant, her servants except for Juniku sighed while Juniku bit her dress and cried about losing her future lover to another big breasted woman. Ensho however was ticked off to the extreme that this over boobed woman has outclassed her in boob size!

Then, Kite, Zoey, Kyo, Tohru and Yuki logged in. Tohru looked at the corrupted skies. "It's getting worse than I thought." Tohru stated worriedly. "Not much we can do about it for now." Yuki stated. Then, Marlo logged in as well. He looked around.

"Damn… Those hackers did a real number on this server…" Marlo muttered. "Um, it wasn't the hackers…" Tohru stated nervously. "What the hell?! If it wasn't the hackers, then who the hell did this?!" Marlo growled.

"The Cursed Wave…" Zoey frowned. "Excuse me?" Cattelya asked, walking up to them. Kyo nearly had a nosebleed when he sees Cattelya's breasts. Kite and Zoey told Cattleya, Rana and Marlo about the events so far, and the enemy they're facing, the Cursed Wave.

"Oh my… This Cursed Wave is even worse than the Swamp Witch…." Cattleya gasped as Rana hugged his mother tighter in fear. "…Damn. Guess the rumor about something lurking within The World is true after all… And Orca has fallen into a coma because of that…" Marlo frowned deeper.

"Indeed it is." Balmung nodded as he walked up to his friends. Kyon gasped as he got out his axe and pointed it at Balmung. "You!" He growled at Balmung. "Just what are you up to now, Balmung? Is it to spy on Kite and Miss Zoey again and accuse them of something they didn't do?" Yuki frowned.

Balmung bowed his head in apology which surprised Kyon and Yuki and he said "I apologize for my rude behavior in the past. I was lost in my hatred for the bracelets. I know what I did back at Net Slum can never be forgiven, but please, forgive me for treating all of you like dirt." Balmung stated politely.

"Mister Balmung… So you're on our side?" Tohru smiled softly. "Bullshit." Marlo spat. "No, no! Marlo, Kyon, Yusei. It's all true. He's on our side now." Zoey reasoned. "Hmm, if Miss Zoey say so, then I agree with both her and Kite." Yuki nodded with a charming smile. "Yeah, well… I believe Mr. Azure Sky too…" Marlo muttered as he sighed.

"Tch, whatever… I still got my eye on you, Balmung…" Kyo frowned. "So what should we do now?" Tsusaka asked, adjusting his hat. "Let's go train some more in a high level area. Marlo, Kyon, Yusei, Toto, Reina, Cattelya, wanna come with us?" Zoey asked with a cute smile.

"I can use the extra training. Sure." Reina nodded. "Since you know this video game more than us otherworlders, I'll tag along too, but I'm bringing Rana with me." Cattleya closed her eyes and smiled. Rana looked at the Chaos Gate oddly.

"I don't mind a little adventure." Tohru closed her eyes and smiled. "I don't mind tagging along. I want to see Balmung's skills in action." Yuki nodded, Kyo grunted, meaning he will go as well. "Sure, fine…" Marlo said dully.

"Alright, be careful all of you." Kan'u smiled as the parties were formed with party 1 being Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, part 2 being Balmung, Marlo, Reina, Cattelya by herself and Tohru and her group.

The area they warped to is a Earth area.

As they were walking down the road after fighting some monsters…

"Hold it right there!" A female voice shouted. "Huh?" The parties turned to see five female Blademasters who wore different colors of clothes glaring at our heroes, especially Tohru.

"Oh god, not them…" Kyo growled. "You know them?" Zoey asked him. "They're the damn rat's fanclub! I thought they think this game will be stupid to follow him in…" Kyo sighed. "S-Stupid cat…" Yuki muttered in embarrassment.

"Tohru or should I say, Toto. How dare you sneak away with our Prince Yusei!" The brown long haired girl with blue ribbons stated as she pointed her finger at the poor Wavemaster.

"M-Motoko-san, it's not what you think!" Tohru stammered. "Don't give us that stuff! You thought you can get away from us by playing the hot online game, The World?! Recently, it's been acting funny, some say it was hackers and we believe you are the cause of this so you can have Yusei to yourself!" Minami Kinoshita or Mi pointed her finger at Tohru.

"Now hold on just a minute. She has nothing to do with this!" Tsusaka reasoned. "Quiet you! I, the president of the Prince Yuki or Prince Yusei fanclub: Motoko or Moto will punish you and your friends and… What the hell?!" Motoko M. gawked as a blur appeared out of nowhere and dramatically beat up the Prince Yusei Fanclub, the attack left them swirly eyes and all.

Reina got a good close look at the blur, it was a woman about in her late teens who stands at a height of 168 centimeters. Her armor bears a cat motif. She wears a metal cat eared headband and a golden necklace with a sapphire pendant. On her torso she has a metal bikini top with parts of it painted blue. She wears a white and black striped vest that has high ends and is open on her torso, but closes and forms a front and back tassel as it gets lower. She has a white and black striped full length glove on her right arm, and a metal armguard on her left arm. She has black panties, with a ornate black belt over the tassel, and bandages on her thighs with white and black striped shoes.

Reina gasped as she sees who this woman is, without warning, the woman has a cat like smile and tackled Reina shouting "Big sis Reina! I found you!" She squealed.

"If I'm not mistaken… That's Elina Vance from Queen's Blade, the sister of Reina who has gay feelings for." Marlo muttered. "Hmm…" Yuki nodded. "Um… Excuse us, but can you let go of Reina?" Kite asked. Elina glared at Kite and held her sister tighter.

"Who are you, huh?! Are you trying to score with my big sister with that dumb as hell outfit?!" She spat coldly. "Looks like she needs time to figure out her surroundings." Cattleya closed her eyes and smiled while Elina continued to glare at them.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Vengeful Sorceress

* * *

A/N: Next up, Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and the gang take on Nyx, but Nyx won't join our heroes till later in Arc 3, and then, after that is Echidna, and then, after Echidna is Irma who like Nyx won't join our heroes till later in the arc, then after her is Melona, Airi and Menace, then after them the last is Melpha.

Author's Notes Time!:

Here is where I discuss the elements in the story I have so far.

Number 1: I put all four original Dot Hack games into one epic story in this fanfic and I feel like I need to add in the cast of Dot Hack Sign since they appeared in the games and I feel they need a big role like Tsusaka is now one of the main characters and Subaru is one of the comatose victims. The Dot Hack Games take place after Dot Hack Sign and I need to put in the connection between them by adding the Sign Cast roles in Dot Hack Mew Mew.

Number 2: Why I decided to put in different crossovers other than Dot Hack and Mew Mew Power is because I do it for fun. However, over the last couple of stories I did, it had too many crossovers and I feel overwhelmed by this since I need training to focus on characters that need attention the most or characters that caught my interest. Like for say, Zoey said something and I focus on her. Also, ever since hearing of Queen's Blade, I wanted to put it in stories that focus on either the original anime or the Spiral Chaos games with either Queen's Blade: SC or the crossover sequel Queen's Gate: Spiral Chaos. It's hard to read Japanese so I followed the story on Youtube to try to get a better understanding of the Queen's Gate plot. However, in Dot Hack Mew Mew, I put in the original Queen's Blade anime cause I feel it needs to be focused more. And then, after learning about Queen's Blade Rebellion, I didn't feel it has a bigger role in my stories till I mentioned it in my Golden Sun story which is on hitatus, but soon Queen's Blade Rebellion will have a bigger role in Dot Hack GU Mew Mew.

Number 3: Why the sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew will take too long to create after this story is because I didn't have the GU games yet. When they were first announced in the era of the PS2, I was like 'Meh' and ignore them, then I realize I was messing out on them after learning about the epic elements they have, the GU trilogy that is. So that's why I have to wait till after I get Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory to order the trilogy on Amazon, hopefully at a cheap price. So until I beat the GU games after ordering them online or watch videos of it on Youtube, I had to wait till I'm done with Dot Hack Mew Mew to work on Dot Hack GU Mew Mew.

Number 4: Why Zoey is the main character in this fic because I grown attached to Zoey because she is my favorite Mew Mew of all time and I like to pair her up with video game characters like say Zoey X Felix, but I really focus on the Zoey X Elliot pairing. Personally, I don't think Mark is right for Zoey since he is Deep Blue, the leader of the Cyniclons in the anime and manga, Elliot is a pretty nice guy despite him getting on Zoey's nerves sometimes. So, they're perfect for each other.

And number 5: Why I like crossovers… I dunno, because I like to mix anime and games together since they don't air on TV, so fanfics is what I do best.

Well, that's all the time for Author's Notes, see you next chapter!


	60. The Vengeful Sorceress

A/N: I know my chapters are not that long, but this time, I will try to make this chapter a bit longer than the other ones. Hell, might make it even longer. I forgot one thing. I forgot to add Claudette to the list last chapter and like Nyx and Irma, she won't join our heroes till Arc 4, but Nyx and Irma will join our heroes later in Arc 3. OK, enough nonsense from me, here is the 60th chapter of Dot Hack Mew Mew.

Chapter 60: The Vengeful Sorceress

**Elina's POV**

**"So, let me get this straight…" I began as I put my hands behind my head and leaned on a stone wall in this Sigma server. "We're in a world that is called a video game and in your world we're fictional characters you watch on this TV you told me about and the reason we're in The World is because of an unknown enemy called the Cursed Wave and your friends along with other people who played this game has fallen into a coma because of the Cursed Wave and you and this Kite person can alter monster data because of those bracelets you hold given to you by this girl in white named Aura who is currently in pieces?" I asked bored.**

**"Hard to believe, isn't it, Miss Elina?" Tohru smiled nervously. "Yeah, sure." I muttered, waving my hand to point that I don't care. But… they do have a point though, when I first arrived in this world, I stopped feeling hungry and thirsty because of this place called The World…**

**"Elina…" Big Sis Reina asked me with a somewhat worried look. "Yes, big sis Reina?!" I squealed. My eyes turned into hearts. "Did Father still want me to return home?" Big Sister Reina frowned after that worried look.**

**"Um…" My heart eyes tore in half as they returned back to normal. "Y-Yeah… Father still wants us home…" I nodded slowly. Big Sis Reina frowned deeper and told me "I'm not going back… I want to fulfill our mother's dream of being an adventurer."**

**"Ohhh…" I looked down sadly. I then remember what Father told me when he assigned me to bring back Big Sis Reina.**

**'Your orders are to bring back Reina and stop her from competing in that… tournament. And do not return until you do! Understand, Elina?' Father's voice echoed in my mind.**

**What am I going to do? Should I let Big Sister Reina continue our mother's dream or will I bring her back. It was then the boy in red named Kite walked up to me. "Something up?" He asked me in concern.**

**"None of your business…" I told him coldly. Kite knew something was wrong with me so he asked "It's about brining Reina home, isn't it?" I looked at him in surprise. "H-How did you know?!" I demanded, getting my spear ready to punish him.**

**"Balmung told me. He did his research on Queen's Blade using Wikis, he knows about your character and how you're madly in love with your sister, Reina." Kite closed his eyes and smiled at me.**

**"W-Well of course! My big sister has bigger boobs than me and we're of the same blood!" I looked away and blushed and giggled "Big sister Reina's ass, Big Sister Reina's boobs…" I made a cat face smile as I giggled pervertedly.**

**"Er… Putting that aside. Maybe you should let Reina continue her mother's dream. Who knows? Maybe one day she'll be Queen and you can live together with her." Kite smiled nervously and sweat dropped.**

**"Hmm…" I scratched my chin in thought. What would Mother say? Suddenly, I got a flashback of when I was 5 years old talking to my mother.**

**"Mom. Where are you going?" I asked. "Mommy's going on an adventure, Sweetie. I don't know when I will be back, probably years. But… if anything happens to me, I want you or Reina to fulfill my dream of becoming an adventurer." With that, she walked out of the mansion and began her adventuring career…**

**"Mother…" I muttered sadly. But then, I cheered up and closed my eyes and smiled and said "Yeah, you're right. I should let Big Sister Reina continue our mother's dream. She would want that." Big Sister Reina looked at me in surprise. **

**"Great. We got to go now. See you guys later!" Zoey waved cheerfully as the ones who played this game logged out. I looked at Reina with a perverted grin and tackled her, groping her breasts. "E-Elina!" Reina moaned.**

**"It's true… She is in love with her big sister…" I heard the little one named Komei AKA Shuri say. I don't care what people say of me, I love my big sister and I will let her continue our mother's dream of becoming an adventurer. Mother would like that.**

Normal POV, the next day…

Zoey turned on her PC and checked for email. She got some new ones from the Newspaper Club. She read Tsukune's email first and it was subjected "Profile" and it read:

**"Name: Tsukune Ano. Age 17, second year at Yokai High. Yep, that's right, demons and monsters exist in the present time other than the Feudal Era that your friend, Kag told me about, except they are hiding from the humans so they won't cause a scene. I'm a human too, but the students at Yokai High don't know that yet. I enrolled there when I failed so many schools. I met the Newspaper Club during some normal school days at Yokai High. Don't worry, they're harmless when they're not in battle."**

'Even demons exist in the modern era… I got to tell Kagome, Inuyasha and their friends about this later!' Zoey smiled as she replied with "Name: Zoey Hanson. Age 13, second year at Musashi Junior and Senior High School. I have a part time job at Café Mew Mew, you should come over there sometime and try one of our cakes. You'll love them!" She sent the reply.

She read Moka's email which is subjected "About me" and it read:

**"I'm a half breed vampire meaning what you see in The World is my normal form, but when my rosary is removed, I go into my true form and I change from sweet and innocent to cruel and vicious. I sometimes think my true form is helpful cause it saved Tsukune's life when he was about to be killed by a demon punk when he started his first year at Yokai High. I know he is a human, but deep down… I'm madly in love with him, so is my true form. Please don't tell anyone! (Smiley)"**

Zoey giggled and said "True love even with different species." She replied with "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul." She sent the reply.

Kurumu's email was subjected "About me" and it read:

**"I am a succubus and I like Tsukune. I really do and I hope to make him my husband someday! I tried using my powers to make him mine, but that didn't work with Moka interfering. Anyway, I like to cook, what do you like, if I come over to where you live, I can fix it right up."**

Zoey looked at the email oddly. 'Sounds like Moka has competition for Tsukune's love…' She thought to herself as she wrote "Wow, I didn't know you were a succubus! Moka told me she's a vampire, but not a full one. To tell you what I like, I like fish. Do you have any recipes for fish? I would love to try them." Zoey sent the reply.

Zoey read Yukari's email next and it was subjected "Hiiiii!" And it read:

**"Hi Zoey! My name is Yukari Sendo, I'm a full fledge witch, but I had to attend school… :( But I am part of the Newspaper Club who make stories for Yokai High. Anyway, the comatose victims and strange happenings in The World could be our next big scoop and we need your help to save the comatose victims and make the headlines in the real world! Will you help us?! ****J****"**

Zoey smiled as she replied with "Of course. One of my friends is one of the comatose victims and we need to do everything we can to help them." Zoey sent the reply.

Next was Mizore's email and it was subjected "Hey…" and it read:

**"Name: Mizore Shirayuki. Species: Abominable snowlady (yuki-onna). Likes: Well, that's a secret, but I'll give you a hint… It's a human boy and his name starts with a T. I'm sorry to hear your friend has fallen into a coma because of the Cursed Wave in The World. I'll do whatever I can to help you out. I'm kinda busy sometimes, but I'll still help."**

'Another real live modern demon…' Zoey smiled softly as she replied with "Thanks for your help. I'm sure we'll make a great team." She sent the reply.

Next up was Ruby's email and it was subjected "Hmph!" And it read:

**"You and this Kite human may be tough with those bracelets, but don't get too sure of yourselves even if you have the power to alter monster data! You need help defeating the Cursed Wave. Don't be afraid to call us anytime you need to explore an area!"**

Zoey sweat dropped and she replied with "Um… Thank you? You're right about one thing. Kite and I can't do it alone. So let's work together on saving the comatose victims." She sent the reply.

Next was Kokoa's email and it was subjected "About your bracelets" and it read:

**"I was curious about the bracelets you and this Kite human have… You said a girl in white named Aura gave them to you two… Just who is Aura anyway and why did she gave you two the bracelets?"**

Zoey's reply was "Aura is an important person who needs our help. She's in pieces and we need to find three segments to put her back together. Once we do, she'll tell us what we need to do to save the comatose victims." She sent the reply.

Last was Gin's email which was subjected "Hi (Heart)" and it read:

**"This beautiful girl in white named Aura and the comatose victims are just what we need for our scoop. It would be great working with you, lovely Zoey."**

Zoey frowned. She already has a boyfriend and his name is Elliot. She decided not to reply to the email. She then decided to log back into The World.

10 minutes later…

Kite, Zoey, Reina, Elina, Kan'u, Chohi and Nowa were exploring an level 68 Wood area. After stopping for a rest, Elina tensed. "Hmm…" Elina has a serious look on her face. "What is it, Elina?" Reina asked her little sister.

"I feel…a certain someone's vibe…" Elina frowned. "Huh? What do you…?! Move!" Kite shouted, the parties dodged fireballs, which made a burning crater in its wake.

"W-What was that?!" Chohi gawked. Kite walked up to where the attack landed. He kneed down and inspected the burnt marks. "This was no ordinary skill. It was done by magic." Kite looked up to Elina and asked "Elina, you said something about a certain someone's vibe… What do you mean by… huh?" Kite turned to face where Elina was facing and they saw a woman walking up to them.

She has waist length brown hair that spikes down, with an ahoge on the top of her head. She has green eyes. wears a red dress with 3 or 4 tails, and a flame design on the bottom. There are long, dark feather-like attachments on the shoulders. Underneath, she wears a purple bustier, with a red heart on the garterbelts. She wears purple elbow gloves, and red heels as well.

Elina however, smirked and commented "Well, if it isn't weak ass Nyx." "Wait a minute, you know this woman who attacked us?!" Kan'u turned to Elina in shock. "Ahem, allow me to explain, Aisha. Nyx was once a former servant of my father, Count Vance. Well, let's just say the past hasn't been too kind to her. She was picked on and abused by Elina and other people, until the day she found that wand, a wand called Funikura, an evil staff of legend." Reina stated seriously.

"R-Really?!" Kite turned to Elina with a shocked look. "Elina, what the hell did you do to her that made her like this?!" He demanded. "Back off, hacker! I will punish you and the vile bitch who caused me so much pain in the past years!" Nyx growled angrily as she tighten her grip on Funikura.

"H-Hacker?!" Zoey gawked. "When I first arrived in this world, a fat man told me about the problems in this game called The World, he said that hackers are responsible for this. And he told me of you two… The ones called Kite and Zoey, responsible for the troubles in this world…" Nyx frowned deeper.

"That fat…!" Kan'u growled angrily. "Lios knows we didn't do this. We're trying to help our friends." Zoey reasoned. "Nani?! But he accused you of the virus and stuff!" Chohi gawked as she turned to face Kite and Zoey with shocked faces. "We know that, but deep down, he knows we're not responsible for the troubles in The World." Kite reassured her.

"Liars!" Nyx growled angrily as she flung fireballs at them, they dodged them. Kan'u charged at Nyx and attempted to hit her, but Funikura used its tentacles to grab her. "Onee-chan!" Chohi gasped in shock.

"L-Let go of me!" Kan'u struggled to break free, but Nyx laughed evilly and said "You see?! There is nothing you can do to break free!" But she failed to notice that Zoey got behind her and slashed her five times with her sword. Nyx screamed out in pain as Funikura let go of Kan'u, Kan'u growled angrily at the vile sorceress and jabbed her spear at her five times, giving her some damage.

Elina leaped into the air and attempted to jab her spear down on Nyx, but Nyx used Funikura to knock her away. Reina rushed to Nyx's side and slashed her five times with her sword.

"D-Damn it!" Nyx growled as she flung fireballs at Kite, he was hit, but he used OlaRepth to heal himself. Kite quickly equipped one of his Dark attributed weapons and rushed in and shouted "Twin Darkness!" He hit Nyx 7 times.

Nyx staggered back a little before she flung more fireballs at the parties, Chohi did a back flip and rushed at Nyx, and jabbed Nyx five times with her spear.

Zoey rushed in and shouted "Gae Slash!" She slashed Nyx five times with her sword. Nyx used Funikura's tentacles to block most of the parties attacks, but Elina decided to finish the battle by punching and kicking Nyx five times, making her fall to the ground.

"S-Shit! You may think you won, but I'll…?!" Nyx gasped in horror as Funikura… punished her. "N-No! Wait! Funikura! I promised I'll do better! Haha, that tickles! Please, stop!" Nyx panicked.

"…What the hell just happened?" Kan'u muttered as she and Chohi have the white dotted shocked eye looks. "That… was weak ass Nyx's punishments for doing bad." Elina sniggered. "Let's get out of here before her… 'punishment' ends." Zoey suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they warp back to Root Town, leaving Nyx to her temporally punishment for failing to defeat the enemy.

To be continued…

Next time: The Lesbian Assassin

A/N: Next time, is that snake woman Echidna, so stay tuned! Also, how was the chapter? I tried to make it longer than the others, so hopefully this one is better. See you next time!


	61. The Lesbian Assassin

Chapter 61: The Lesbian Assassin

We see another Wood area with some shack and what appears to be a hot spring. We see a naked elf with dull green hair (with whitish bangs) relaxing in the spring. Her only companion is a snake relaxing with her.

The woman looked at the snake with a smile and said "Keltan, aren't you glad we found this hot spring in this strange world?" The snake known as Keltan hissed in agreement.

The elf woman's name is Echidna, named after the animal itself. She looked at the corrupted skies. "It's been 3 days since we arrived in this world…" Echidna stated with a small smile. She flashed back to the day she first arrived in The World.

**Echidna's POV**

**I slowly moaned as I slowly got up and checked my surroundings. I was on some strange fort like city with strange things on it and the sky looked corrupted.**

**"Keltan, where are we?" I asked my pet snake. He hissed saying he has no idea where we are.**

**Oh, let's take a look at my attire. I wore a white open breast plate with a snake-themed collar. I wore no underwear, only my beloved Keltan as a thong instead. Besides, I prefer snakes as thongs instead of underwear, hehe. My armor bears a snake motif. I wore an arm bracer, and on my legs are white shin-guards with dull green thigh-highs underneath.**

**I looked at the broken skies in awe. "Now that is strange." I muttered. I turned to Keltan and said with a smile "Let us gather some information on this place, Keltan." **

**I walked up to two strangely dressed people chatting. They were both male. I frowned. Men… Why does it have to be men? I sighed and asked sweetly "Excuse me, boys?" The two males stopped chatting and turned to me.**

**"Hey…" One of the males asked. "You looked exactly like Echidna from Queen's Blade…" He stated. "Oh?" I raised my eyebrows, interested. "You heard of me?" "Yeah. She's a character in the anime called Queen's Blade. She likes women more than men. But she's in love with Reina and there are some fanfics that pair those two together like yuri." The second male stated.**

**"I see…" I nodded. My life being watched by these guys and my world being what they called a TV show? Now I was intrigued. "Are you a new player in The World?" The first male asked me.**

**"The World? Is that where we are?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. "Yeah, it's a very popular video game for the PC. But… recently, it's having problems like hackers have messed up the servers or something." The second male stated.**

**"Can you tell me more about The World?" I asked sweetly. "A newbie, huh? Don't worry, we'll teach you everything about The World." The first male smiled.**

**The two males told me about this world called The World. How there are six classes to choose from, how you gain levels by fighting monsters, the servers and how you get to places called areas using a device called the Chaos Gate. Fufufu, this world is fascinating.**

**"I see. Thank you for the information, kind gentlemen." I smiled. "Anytime, maybe we can be in a party sometime?" The first male offered. "Thanks, but I'll pass." I replied snidely as I walked towards the Chaos Gate.**

**I appeared in a Wood area after using the Chaos Gate. I began to look around in awe. But still, the broken sky still bothers me. Did they say it was caused by people they called hackers? I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I began walking.**

**After walking for about 15 minutes, I heard a cry for help. Curious, I ran to the source. I see a bunch of players attacking a female player. Why are they attacking that cute female player? I thought to myself. Still, she needs my help. I quickly rushed in and and slashed one of the male evildoers.**

**"W-What the hell?!" Another of those males players harassing the female player gawked. "Doesn't matter! Remember the great PK Sora!" The leader growled. **

**It was no challenge at all, I managed to defeat all those players calling themselves PKs. I turned to the female player and asked "Are you alright?"**

**"Y-Yes! Thank you so much! You looked like Echidna from Queen's Blade." The female player bowed in gratitude. "Don't mention it." I smiled, looking at the female player's body. I licked my lips, making the female player nervous.**

**"Why were they attacking you?" I asked, wanting to know why those other players were harassing this poor beautiful girl. "Oh, you mean the PKs? Yeah, they only do this for fun and show no remorse for other players. I was on my way back from the Twilight Spring till those PKs jumped me. I was glad you came to my rescue." The female player smiled.**

**"Twilight Spring?" I asked,, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. It's where female players get naked without getting in trouble and relax in the spring's waters to feel the stress falling away." The female player blushed.**

**"Hoho, I would like to go there." I smiled pervertedly. "Since you helped me, I will tell you where it is." The female player was nice enough to tell me the location and I walked off to where the Twilight Spring.**

**Eventually, I managed to find the Twilight Spring. I smiled to myself. I turned to Keltan and asked "Shall we take a dip?" Keltan hissed in agreement.**

**I began to take off my clothes. Keltan went into the water. Completely naked, I got into the water and laid back and sighed in relief. The flashback ended.**

**I smiled as I closed my eyes. This world isn't so bad as I thought. Suddenly, I heard some voices. I opened one eye and looked at the direction of the voices. They sounded familiar. Could it be… Reina? My beloved Reina? Smirking to myself, I got out of the water, not caring about my naked body and hid behind a tree, peeking to see if it really is Reina and her friends.**

Normal POV

"So this is the Twilight Spring!" Zoey gasped in awe as she, Mimiru, BT, Kan'u's group, Midori's group, Sousou's group, Ensho's group, the Galaxy Angels without their commanding officers, and Reina and her friends looked at the spring in awe.

"So the Twilight Spring is in this area. Kite was wise in showing us the info he gave us and was nice enough to let us go there on our own." BT smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's strip naked and go into the spring!" Ranpha squealed.

The girls nodded in agreement as they stripe themselves naked and got into the hot spring, unaware of Echidna peaking from the shadows.

"Awww, this spring feels so good…" Mimiru purred as her breasts were covered in the water. "Hmm…" BT said one word as she used a washcloth to wash her face. "This is so nice… I wish we come here every time we want when we're not busy fighting monsters and stuff." Bacho grinned as she laid back, her arms behind her head and legs crossed.

"Hey, big sister Aisha?" Ryubi asked, standing up, not caring she was in the buff. "Mmm?" Kan'u asked, raising an eyebrow. "When you and Reina are naked, maybe you should check each other's breast sizes?" Ryubi suggested. "T-Toka?!" Kan'u gawked as her eyes turned white dotted in shock.

"W-What do you mean by that?!" Reina demanded, shocked as well. "Big sister Reina has bigger boobs than Aisha. Show her, Big sister!" Elina grinned as she slapped Reina on the back. Reina gulped as she and Kan'u stand facing each, completely naked. Chohi checked the breast sizes of both beautiful women. The rest of the girls watched as they see which one has the bigger bust.

"Hmm… Looks like they're almost evenly match…" Wakaba smiled. "N-Nani?! What makes you say that, Wakka?!" Futuba glared at her sister. "It's true… Both Aisha and Reina's breasts looked almost the same, except for Reina's being bigger." Sanae stated as she looked at the breasts in awe.

"Ha! Told you!" Elina grinned as she grabbed Reina's breasts. "Eeek! Stop it!" Reina panicked as she got her little sister off her, making her splash, getting Nanael and Ymir wet. "W-Watch it, you stupid monkey!" Nanael growled. "Great… my hat's wet…" Ymir muttered as she used a towel to dry her hair and hat.

Nowa was busy scrubbing Alleyne's back Tomoe and Ryofu were relaxing together, Juniku tried to get to wash Sousou's back, but failed, Enshou was complaining about the water not being too hot. Meanwhile, Milfeulle was having a blast with Mint, splashing each other with water. Ranpha sighed as she laid back on the edge of the spring.

"I wish some cute guy washes my shoulder…" She closed her eyes and relaxed a little. Unbeknownst to her, Echidna walked up, got out a wash towel and scrubbed Ranpha's shoulders. Ymir finished drying her towel and when she saw Echidna, she turned white as a ghost as she sees who it is. "T-T-T-The snake woman…" Ymir stammered in fear.

"Aw, that's the stuff… Wash my shoulders well, my prince." Ranpha purred. "As you wish, Your Majesty." Echidna smirked, Ranpha was confused, she opened her eyes and looked up, she sees Keltan on her head and Echidna winking at her. Ranpha was speechless. She remained quiet for about 1…2…3..4..5..and 6…

**"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o!" **Ranpha's scream was heard throughout the area.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Swamp Three

A/N: Hopefully this chapter is longer than the last one. EliteSlayer103, I'm doing my best to make the chapters lengthy and stuff, but sometimes when I feel like I need to finish a chapter, I finished a chapter, kay? But thanks for your concern. Alright, next up is Melona, Airi and Menace, and like the three Queen's Blade characters that won't join our heroes till later in the story, they won't join till Arc 4. Alright, enough from me. Also, I have a position for you, the readers.

I got no art talent whatsoever, and the site now has book covers for our stories. So basically, I need your help making a book cover for Dot Hack Mew Mew. Here's what you do, if you have a Deviantart account, make a book cover for Dot Hack Mew Mew. I know it seems selfish, but I really lack good art skills. So please help me.

Alright, enough from me. See you next time!


	62. The Swamp 3

A/N: We're getting close to the end of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc. After Claudette, we will go right back to the main plot of the story. Also, I would like to make some notes about Irma. Well, turns out, she will join the gang in the next chapter after this one. Melona, Airi and Menace will be comic relief characters in Arcs 3 and 4. OK, enough from me. On with the show!

Chapter 62: The Swamp Three

After getting dressed, the girls were talking to Echidna, Ranpha was still traumatized from Echidna's scrubbing of her shoulders. Forte was doing her best to comfort her.

"So you're Echidna from Queen's Blade…" Mimiru gasped as she inspected the snake elf's body, wondering why she isn't embarrassed on wearing such revealing clothes.

"Fufufu, indeed I am. And I see you're friends with my Reina, the foreigner Tomoe, that pesky bandit Risty, young Ymir, stupid angel Nanael, Cattleya and her son, little Nowa, good looking Elina and my old friend, Alleyne…" Echidna smirked again. Nanael seethed.

"Be quiet, Echidna!" Alleyne growled. "We were once friends till you did something that will come back to haunt you in the past!" She pointed her finger at Echidna who was uninterested.

"T-Teacher…" Nowa looked at her mentor with worry. She can tell her mentor's hatred of Echidna is strong even after many years. "S-Stay away from me!" Ymir stammered as she hid behind Cho'un. Cho'un looked at Ymir oddly. "What's with her?" She asked.

"Oh, Ymir has a fear of snakes in the show. Echidna has a pet snake named Keltan." BY stated as she looks at one direction. "You don't say…" Kakoton muttered.

"Miss Echidna." Ryubi stated, Echidna turned to her, looking at her body. Kan'u frowned as she readies herself to punish Echidna for eying her sworn sister like that, but Zoey stopped her and shook her head, telling Kan'u not to make things worse. Kan'u sighed and nodded, knowing she understands.

"How exactly did you arrived in The World?" Ryubi asked. "Through a rainbow like portal, why?" Echidna asked, raising an eyebrow. "I knew it! The Cursed Wave struck again!" Futuba exclaimed.

Echidna turned to Futuba with a seductive look and asked "The Cursed Wave?" She was interested in this Cursed Wave. Zoey stepped forward and stated "Please listen to what we have to say."

Zoey told Echidna everything, about how Bridge, Kite's friend, Orca and Subaru fell into a coma because of the Cursed Wave, the Girl in White named Aura and how she needs their help in defeating the Cursed Wave.

"Hmhmhm…" Echidna chortled, earning her odd stares from the girls. "Your story sounds interesting indeed. This Cursed Wave… It sounds like the opponent I was looking for." "So you'll help us?!" Mint beamed, her ears flap in excitement.

"Now hold on a damn minute!" Risty interjected. "Yeah, don't we get a say in this?!" Ymir growled, not wanting Echidna's pet snake near her. "Echidna will prove to be a variable ally to the team. So you three have to put aside your petty differences with her for now." Mimiru frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "…Mimiru does have a point. 65… points." Alleyne nodded slowly.

Risty and Ymir were silent for a moment till they said "Fine…"

"Alright, let's head back to Root Town and choose an area Kite wants us to go to after we're done with the Twilight Spring." Sousou smiled. "OK!" The girls nodded in agreement as they warped back to Root Town with Echidna in tow.

(Meanwhile, with Kite, Sanjuro and Natsume)

Kite's party were exploring an icy area. Natsume was cautious as she searched around for monsters. "Hey guys?" Natsume asked a bit afraid. "Hmm, what's up?" Sanjuro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you get the feeling we're being watched?" Natsume asked seriously. "Hmm…" Kite scratched his chin in thought. "Yeah, it happened when me and Zoey first met Nowa… Someone or something is watching our every move…" Kite frowned as he looked back behind him. "It could be nothing…" Sanjuro shrugged. "Let's not waste anytime."

"R-Right… It feels like we're being watched though." Natsume nodded as Kite's party head into the dungeon. Natsume was right, they were being followed. The ones following them were three women.

The first woman looks like a bunny girl with pink hair which covers her exposed breasts, wore pink revealing clothes and has goo dripping on the floor.

The second one looks like a maid with a menacing scythe.

And finally, the third one is a well-toned young adult female with black hair and blue eyes. Despite her young appearance she originally lived thousands of years ago. Carrying an Egyptian-themed motif, she is adorned with an elegant golden headpiece with a cobra at its center. She wears a jeweled breast plate that reaches only midway through her bust along with striped panties below an opaque cloth at her front. Her arms are also wrapped with a white cloth, but do not be fooled by the benign appearance - the white cloth are actually bandages which can be used for attacks.

The maid turned to the pink bunny girl. "So, this is one of the ones who can reduce monsters to weak ones, Melona?" The maid asked. The one called Melona nodded with a somewhat wicked grin and said "Yep. I saw him along with that girl use those weird bracelets to reduce those monsters to weak ones. They must have some connection to this world which we were sent here for."

"Say…" The Egyptian like woman stated. "If that strange dressed boy was able to turn a monster into a weak one… Maybe he can serve me?" The Egyptian woman smiled as she thought of having Kite as her own servant.

Melona laughed and said "Keep dreaming, Menace! I say we capture him and make him work for the Swamp Witch."

"But what if he resists?" The maid asked, looking at Melona with a stern look. "Then we have to beat the crap out of him, that's why, Airi." Melona grinned.

(Back to Kite's party)

After exploring the dungeon and getting a new weapon for Natsume by the Gott statue, Kite's party exited the dungeon, however, when they exited the dungeon, they see the Swamp 3 waiting for them.

Kite got his weapons ready; Sanjuro readies his katana while Natsume got into a defensive position. "Hello! How are we today?" Melona waved cheerfully. Sanjuro's single eye widen in surprise. "Wait a minute… Is that Melona, Airi and Menace?!"

"Y-You know who those three scary women are, Sanjuro?" Natsume gulped nervously. "Yeah, Melona's the right hand woman of the Swamp Witch, Airi's a maid who can steal your lifeforce without you knowing it and Menace the ghost of a dead princess of an ancient kingdom…" Sanjuro frowned.

"So you have heard of us…" Airi stated as she readies her scythe. "Yeah…. But what I don't know is… What do you want with us?" Sanjuro countered. "Simple, we want to speak to that boy in red." Melona pointed her finger at Kite.

"Me?" Kite frowned, getting ready for battle. "Yeah. We've seen what you and that girl in purple can do,, turning monsters into weak ones in a instant. So I have a position for ya… Will you join the Swamp Witch in taking over both our world and this world?" Melona winked.

"You mean Data Drain?" Kite's frown only deepens. "I will not use my powers for evil. I need this power to help the comatose victims and Aura!" "Who's Aura?" Menace looked at Kite confusedly.

"Sounds like this Aura's pretty important, huh? Well once we find her, we'll destroy her! Now ready yourselves!" Melona grinned as she shape shifted into Reina. "Oh my God! What did Melona turned into?! R-Reina?!" Natsume panicked as Airi clashed with her.

"That's one of Melona's powers, shape shifting. She can turn into anyone or anything in a instance!" Sanjuro shouted as he blocked Menace's attacks. "Will you surrender to me? If you do, I will spare your life!" Menace shouted as she threw a spirit punch at Sanjuro, he dodged rolled out of the way.

"Sorry, but I won't surrender to a minion of the Swamp Witch whose hell bent on rebuilding Amara!" Sanjuro gritted as he slashed Menace five times. "How dare you insult my Queen's home country!" Setra, Menace's loyal staff and servant shouted. Menace threw another punch at Sanjuro, this time, hitting him.

"Damn it…" Sanjuro growled as he shouted "Karin!" His Demonic Sword managed to hit Menace for bigger damage. "Augh!" Menace groaned as she held her chest. But what made her confused is she's not bleeding or the gash appeared on her chest.

Meanwhile, Kite was blocking every blow Melona as Reina used on him. "Damn it! Why won't you fall?!" Melona growled as her blade clashed with Kite's blades. Kite did a leg sweep on her, making her trip. Kite rushed in and shouted "Twin Darkness!" He hit Melona for large damage.

"Shit!" Melona swore as she reverted back to normal. Growling in frustration, she fired her… milk at him, he dodged it. Kite watched in shock as the milk melted a bit of the snow. Frowning Kite rushed in and slashed Melona five times, and then kicked her in the chest, knocking her into Menace after Sanjuro hit her with many attacks.

Now we turn to Natsume who is losing badly, Airi was overpowering her with her scythe attacks. 'You can't lose Natsume! You got to use that new weapon Kite gave you!' Natsume thought as she used a skill to hit Airi five times.

"Not bad… But not good enough…" Airi was about to attack Natsume, but Kite got in the way and slashed Airi 10 times with Twin Darkness. Frowning, Airi charged at Kite and slashed him five times with her scythe. What Airi failed to notice that Natsume was behind her and Natsume slashed her five times with her blades.

"Ahhh!" Airi groaned in pain as Kite punched her into her comrades. "Now!" Kite issued. Kite's party casted spells which made an explosion, causing Melona and her crew to scream as they disappeared, Team Rocket style…

"I hope we seen the last of them…" Natsume asked worriedly. "I think they'll be back. But next time, let's try to convince them to join our cause." Kite suggested.

"Eh, you sure about that, Kite? We're talking about the Swamp Witch's minions here." Sanjuro questioned. "Hey, don't worry. Kite can do it!" Natsume responded cheerfully, Kite nodded with a smile. Just then, the girls showed up.

"Kite, what happened?! Are you ok?!" Zoey asked in concern. "Believe me, you won't believe the trouble we went through in this area!" Sanjuro laughed. "We would like to hear it." Alleyne stated as she folded her arms.

"Ok." Kite nodded with a smile.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Cold Assassin

A/N: Next up is Irma, then only two more chapters left of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc with Melpha and Claudette, then we'll go back to the main plot! Also, I will put in some notes I like to share with you, the readers:

The reason I didn't let the Swamp 3 join in this chapter is because I want to give them comic relief roles in Arcs 3 and 4, cause you know Melona, Airi and Menace are like Team Rocket of Pokemon, but only sexy and funny. So that's why I will make them comic relief characters till during Arc 4. Alright, enough from me, see you next time and sorry if this chapter isn't longer than the last one!


	63. The Cold Assassin

A/N: Here is Irma's chapter; next is Melpha and finally Claudette who we will focus on Chapter 65. Ok, on with the chapter!

Chapter 63: The Cold Assassin

We see a area similar to the ones where Kite and Zoey learned about Gate Hacking and where they fought Skeith, we see a figure leaping from the structures before landing on the fifth structure.

It was a woman about 21 years old, has light blue hair, her attire consists of a non-standard uniform version used by the Queen's personal death squad: The Assassins of Fang. Compared to the standard uniform, her outfit is more revealing, for example her torso armor is cut higher, exposing the bottom half of her breasts. Her name is Irma, Queen Aldra's right hand woman and a member of Queen Aldra's death squad: The Assassin's Fang.

**Irma's POV**

**This strange land… It is unknown and does not match any of the lands of Grainos…. The sky… It has strange things in it… Perhaps it has something to do with that rainbow like portal that engulfed me when I was trying to assassinate Reina Vance.**

**When I woke up, I found myself in a alien land that is reek with emptiness. I then explore my surroundings to learn more about this land and how it can be worth something to Queen Aldra…**

**Suddenly, I noticed three strange people exiting some sort of underground chamber. Their attire and their appearances do not interested me, but I listen in to the conversation.**

**"Man, The World is pretty messed up! Did those hackers really do this?" A male swordsman asked one of his companions. The World? I thought to myself, I also ponder what they mean about hackers.**

**"Yes. CC Corp stated it was hackers, but there are rumors of people falling into comas because of this game." A female woman with two blades stated. "Did the hackers made up that rumor too?" A man with a staff asked confusedly.**

**Frowning to myself, I leaped into the air and in a instant, killed the three people because they do not have any information about this world. But what surprises me… is they vanished by yellow lights.**

**…This world is indeed strange. Suddenly, I heard a strange sound and turned to my right to see more people, one that is red, a girl who is wearing purple, a man who looks like a male angel, a woman with yellow hair and a strange staff, a boy with a strange staff as well, a girl with blue hair and her eyes remained shut, a woman with strange hairclips that are not from this world, a woman who has beautiful black hair and a menacing spear, a young child with a spear and some strange hairclip of a cat… I loved cats, a pink haired woman with some strange sword, a woman with a giant boomerang, a boy with some sort of sickle, the dwarf girl Ymir, the angel Nanael, and finally Reina Vance.**

**'Perfect…' I thought to myself as I hid myself from their view.**

Normal POV

Kohaku looked around nervously. "Are… you sure this is a good idea to train here? What if the demons are really tough?" He stammered. Sango turned to her little brother with a smile and said "Don't worry, Kohaku. We're with you."

"Yes." Balmung nodded as he sees a magic portal. "The monsters around here are level 61, a perfect place to gain some experience points and good equipment." The parties rushed towards the magic portal and it made three demonic looking women appear. They casted fire spells on them, hitting them for large damage.

"You damn vixens! I will kill you!" Ranpha growled as she leaped into the air and slams her foot down on one of the demons' face, knocking it into a wall. "Revolver!" Balmung shouted, slashing one of the Fire Maidens five times with his sword.

"Gae Slash!" Zoey rushed towards one of the Fire Maidens and slashed it five times with her sword. Kite rushed in afterwards and slashed it five times with his twin blades.

Kan'u and Chohi double teamed on a fire maiden and caused it to protect break, Zoey used Data Drain on it and got a virus core, Kohaku used his sickle to kill the weak monster. Ryubi ran up to one of the fleeing but not really fire maiden and slashed it five times with her sword, killing it.

"Onidom!" Tsusaka and BT used their magic to defeat another fire maiden. Suddenly, a huge skull monster was rushing towards the parties. Reina and Natsume ran circles around it. "Twin Tiger!" Natsume got close to the skull monster and slashed it five times.

Reina rushed to the side of the skull monster and slashed it five times with her sword. Nanael telepathically used her sword to skewer the skull monster, leaving Ymir to leap into the air and cleave it in two. The parties gain good amounts of EXP, causing some of them to level up.

"That was fun." Zoey commented with a smile. Sango however, has a serious look on her face. "What's wrong, Sango? What's with the look?" Natsume asked her in concern. "Probably that monk rubbed her ass again." Nanael snickered, but turned to see that Reina and Ymir have serious looks at well. 'Er… What's wrong with you three? Something up?" She asked, placing her hands to her sides.

"We're being watched…" Reina frowned. "By who?" Balmung asked. Suddenly, Sango heard footsteps coming at a rapid pace, in a instant, Sango used her blade to lock swords with Irma.

**Irma's POV**

**'Damn it!' I thought vigorously to myself as my blade let go of this woman's blade and I back flipped, landing a few feet away from my targets. "Irma!" I heard Reina Vance shouted out in shock and fury.**

**"You know this woman, Reina?" The boy in red asked her. "Yeah…" Reina nodded as she and I were having a glaring contest. "Her name is Irma, a assassin for Queen Aldra. She's a member of the Assassin's Fang… But what the hell is she doing here?! Unless… Irma, did you come through a rainbow like portal?" Reina asked me.**

**"That's not your concern…" I said coldly as I ran towards the boy in red in a instant and he and I locked blades. He managed to push me back by doing a leg sweep, I however was caught in it and fell down. The angel man thrusts his sword at me, but I dodged rolled out of the way.**

**"We don't have to do this… Please, hear us out." The boy with white hair tried to reason with me. I frowned and said "Request denied…" I rushed towards him, the woman with the strange hairclips got in my way.**

**"Hey you bitch! Can't you see we were brought here by the Cursed Wave?!" She yelled at me. The Cursed Wave… never heard of it. I tried to punch her, but she blocked my punch.**

**I tried to kick her, but she and I were blocking each others blows, showing no signs of giving, just when I was about to use a move to even the advantage, I see the woman who looks like a demon slayer throw her giant boomerang at me, I dodged it and it hit the loud woman.**

**The loud woman growled at the demon slayer and shouted "You could have killed me or ruined my face!" She snapped at her. The demon slayer rubbed the back of her head nervously and bowed in apology and said "Sorry, Ranpha!"**

**Reina was next and we were locked in a power struggle that lasted about 60 seconds till Vance got the upper hand and slashed me five times with her sword. I screamed out in pain, but the odd thing is… I didn't feel any wounds nor do I bleed…**

**What is this strange hellish world? I heard Ymir yell out a battle cry as she swings her axe at me, I dodged it and kicked her in the chest, knocking her into a wall, she has swirly eyes as she was knocked out.**

**Nanael fired energy arrows at me, I dodged them swiftly and leaped into the air and caught Nanael by surprise and drop kicked her to the ground, resulting in a huge crater.**

**I suddenly feel a slash as I glared at girl in purple as she and I clashed swords. The boy with white casted healing spells on her to heal her injuries, at first, I thought this girl has no experience whatsoever in combat, but I was proven wrong as she kicked me in the chest and slashed me.**

**"Shit!" I swore as the girl in purple and I clashed some more. I managed to slashed the girl in purple five times in the chest. She recovered and slashed me back five times.**

**The boy in red rushed towards me and slashed me five times with his twin blades, I tried to use my dagger to stab him in the chest, but the angel man knocked my dagger away from me.**

**It was a three on one battle. No matter, I was ready. The tension was so intense that if either one of them moves, it would be all out hell… However, before I can attack, I heard a familiar voice.**

**"Stop it right now, Irma." Blinking, I turned to see Master Echidna walking towards me calmly. "M-Master Echidna!" I gasped as I bowed before my mentor.**

**"I'm no longer your master, Irma. You know that…" Echidna stated coldly. And then she said "As of now, you will help Kite, Zoey and their friends in fighting the Cursed Wave…" The Cursed Wave… That loud woman mentioned it before.**

**"W-What do you mean, master?" I asked hesitantly. Master Echidna sighed and began to explain everything to me.**

**She told me we were characters of what they called a TV show based on the current events in Grainos, how we're inside something they called a video game, how the ones called Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka's friends fallen into a coma because of this Cursed Wave and how we and others like us got into The World.**

**"..And now we have to work together with your targets whenever you liked it or not. Do you understand, Irma?" Master Echidna asked me sternly. I was silent for a moment… Should I betray my Queen's orders? No, I would be disobeying my master…**

**10 seconds later, I answered with "Acknowledged, master." "Good." Master Echidna smirked. "Thanks for helping us, Miss Echidna!" The girl called Chohi grinned. I sighed. Perhaps this is part of my new training…**

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Helpful Priest

A/N: Sorry if this chapter isn't longer than the last one, again. I'm doing my best to make the chapters longer. Anyway, next up is Melpha and after that, it's the final chapter of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc with Claduette, so stay tuned!


	64. The Helpful Priest

A/N: Only one chapter left of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc! So here is Chapter 64 with Melpha in it!

Chapter 64: The Helpful Priest

Rachel was traveling with someone, but that someone is not a player. She has yellow hair, wore glasses, has a bust of 96 (38), wore a blue cap on her head with a white, metal piece in the front, with her religious symbol stylishly engraved into it, and wore a white, tight, bodysuit underneath her long blue dress, with a purple cloth wrap on the left side of her body and a long white ribbon with a yellow detailed design upon it. Her name is Melpha, the Priestess of Grainos where the Queen's Blade is held.

**Melpha's POV**

**Miss Rachel was nice enough to let me tag along in her adventure ever since I got dragged into this world called The World. She reminds me of Nanael.**

**I turned to Miss Rachel with a smile and asked "Where are we going, Miss Rachel?" Miss Rachel looked at me in annoyance and said calmly "We're going to deliver an item to a player named Tanker, a Heavy Axeman… And please, for the love of God, call me Rachel…"**

**I giggled and nodded and said "Okay, Rachel." We entered what she calls a dungeon.**

**As we entered the first floor, we see a yellow axe man waiting. We walked up to him. "Are you the Rachel's Delivery Service?" The axe man asked. "Why, yes we are. This is my new employee, Melpha. For some strange reason, she looks like the character from Queen's Blade." Rachel smiled.**

**"Yes. It is very nice to meet you." I bowed politely. Strange… I find it odd that my life is based on what they called TV. Why is that?**

**The axe man looked at me funny and muttered "Yeah, you're right… She does look like Melpha. Anyway, I need that item you got and I want you two to deliver an rare item to my buddy Axlect in the lowest level of the dungeon." Rachel after giving him the item looked at Tanker with a shocked and angry face.**

**"W-What?! I thought you asked for one item and now you're gonna make us deliver it to your friend?!" Rachel screeched out in fury. I put my hand on Rachel's shoulder and told her "We cannot ignore his plea. We must do whatever we can to help him." My grandmother taught me to help people in need and right now, Tanker needs our help.**

**Rachel looked at me with a shocked look before she frowned and muttered "Fine…" "Thanks! I knew I can count on you two." He gave us a fine looking sword as Rachel puts it in what she calls an inventory. Rachel looked at me and said "Let's just go." I nodded with a smile as we entered the second room of the first floor and then the third room.**

**I saw a strange symbol floating in midair. "Rachel, what are those?" I asked her in awe. Rachel looked at me in confusion and asked me "What, you never saw a magic portal before?" **

**"Magic portal?" I asked, confused this time. "Yeah, when you get near one, either monsters or treasure comes out. But monsters come out frequently. I hope you know how to fight." Rachel explained to me as she got near the magic portal and three pumpkin like specters appeared. I frowned as I got my mace ready.**

**Rachel was the first to attack, but the attack bounced her sword off. "Damn it! Physical tolerance! If only we had a fricking Wavemaster!" Rachel growled in frustration. "Rachel…" I stepped forward. "It is best if you leave this to me." "What are you…" Rachel was shocked as I struck one of my Holy Poses and shouted "Be gone, evil fiends!"**

**"Melpha, I don't think that's gonna…" Rachel was cut off when my Holy Poses' attacks appeared and struck those fiendish undead monsters and destroyed them. Rachel looked at me with shocked eyes and ran up to me and screamed out "What the hell was that?! That was so awesome!" She looked at me in awe and admiration.**

**I smiled at her and simply said "That was one of my Holy Poses. Holy Poses passed down by my family. They don't call me the Priestess of Grainos for nothing." I closed my eyes and smiled. "Ya know… Something different about you… It feels like I known you from somewhere on TV… Maybe you really are Melpha from Queen's Blade." Rachel folded her arms and was in a stand up thinking position.**

**"Did I do something wrong, Rachel?" I looked at her in concern. "What? N-No. I'm just wondering how you did that without wasting SP. Anyway, let's get going." Rachel smiled. I nodded as we head into the next room.**

**The next room have two different doors leading to somewhere. "Which door shall we take, Rachel?" I asked, looking at the first door and the second door to my right. "Hmm… Oh! Hold on, I got an idea! I'll use Fairy Orbs to find our way!" Rachel grinned as she got out a yellow orb and fairies appeared out of it and disappeared in about 5 seconds.**

**"I-Incredible!" I gasped in awe as I turned to Rachel for answers. "What were those?" I asked her. "Those are Fairy Orbs. With them, you can use fairies to chart out the mini-map. Don't tell me you haven't seen one before?" Rachel again looked at me oddly."**

**"No, of course not. I have never seen them before." I said cheerfully. Rachel sighed and muttered "Whatever. Let's keep going." I nodded as we entered the route Rachel has chosen.**

**Eventually, we made it to the stairs leading to the second floor. "We take these to reach the second floor?" I asked her. "Yup." Rachel nodded. "I have to use another Fairy Orb to make it easy for us." I nodded, knowing I understand as we head down the stairs.**

**As we were walking down a hallway, Rachel started to ask me some questions. "So, Melpha, why is it you were able to use those Holy Poses or something?" She asked me.**

**"I have been training to do Holy Poses since birth. I'm next in line for Archbishop." I told her with a smile. "Archbishop? You mean like in those real life popes and fantasy RPGs?" Rachel looked at me oddly again.**

**RPGs? What are those?" I asked her in confusion. "Role playing games. Don't tell me you have never played one before?! We're in one right now, The World, only it's a MMORPG which stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, meaning everyone can play it around the real world!" Rachel looked at me in disgust.**

**"I'm sorry, I had no idea." I looked down in sadness. "Ah, don't worry about it. But recently, there are rumors of players falling into a coma because of this game and some girl in white named Aura roaming around The World on the Board." Rachel stopped and looked at the ceiling.**

**"Players falling into a coma? Why?" I asked, curious. Rachel shrugged and stated "Who knows? I heard it from a friend or employee who's trying to save his friend along with another employee who is trying to save her friend as well. As for the Girl in White, I think they call her Aura or something, I dunno."**

**"That's terrible!" I gasped in shock. "We have to help those comatose victims!" I said suddenly. "As much as I like to agree with you, but no one knows what caused the coma and how they can cure it. We just have to wait and see." Rachel sighed as she entered the next room.**

**We saw another magic portal and we got near it and five skeleton like monsters appeared. Rachel grinned as she used her sword to slash one of them, giving it some damage.**

**I struck another Holy Pose and it hit one of the skeletons, killing it. Rachel saw a skeleton monster coming towards me and she rushed in to block its attack, protecting me from the fiendish monster, she slashed it five times, killing it.**

**I struck another Holy Pose and this one destroyed the foul creatures. "Not bad! You and I make a pretty good team!" Rachel grinned. I nodded and smiled and said "I hope we'll be best friends forever." "Er… Yeah, that's right. We'll be best buds forever. Come on, let's go." Rachel motioned me to follow her into the next room.**

**As we were about to head into the room with the next stairs are, we see some shadows. Rachel stopped me and got out her blade, I got out my mace and was ready as well. The shadows are revealed to be a Heavy Axeman, a Heavy Blade and a Long Arm as Rachel calls them. Rachel immediately recognized them.**

**"Ran-chan? Yu Jie? Akane? What are you guys doing here?" Rachel asked, placing her hands next to her sides. "We came here to exterminate some monsters to level up, we saw a player here waiting for someone, but we don't know who. What are you doing here, Rachel?" Akane looked at her in question.**

**"Delivering some items to my client. Oh, and this is Melpha. I found her in some area and let her tag along with me." Rachel smiled. Yu Jie looked at me odd till she gasped "Melpha from Queen's Blade perhaps?"**

**I gasped as well and asked "How did you know about the Queen's Blade?!" "Wait, did you come through a rainbow like portal?" Ran-chan asked. I gasped again, but nodded. "OK, listen to what we have to say…" Akane then explained everything to me and Rachel.**

**They told me about how me and others are anime characters in their world, how they met some players named Kite and Zoey when their homeland is in trouble, the powers of Data Drain and Gate Hacking, the comatose victims, the Girl in White Aura and the enemy they're facing, the Cursed Wave.**

**"So the Cursed Wave is responsible for the troubles in your world and The World?" I covered my mouth in shock. "Aha, so that's why you looked familiar! But… You're an anime character… You can't be in our world…" Rachel looked at me in disbelief.**

**"Rachel, I'm standing before you, so that must mean I'm real." I reassured her with a smile. Then I turned to Ran-chan and his friends and said "Please take me to this Kite and Zoey. It looks like they need my help in defeating this vile Cursed Wave."**

**"Hold up!" Rachel stopped me. "First things first, we need to deliver this sword to Axlect." "Oh right, I forgot." I nodded while sweat dropping. "Mind if we tag along?" Akane asked with a smile. "Sure." Rachel nodded. We headed into the final floor of the dungeon where Axlect, a Blademaster was waiting.**

**Rachel gave the man his sword. "Hey thanks! I knew my buddy and I can count on Rachel's Delivery Service. Here's your pay." He gave Rachel and Ran-chan's group 4000 GP. Rachel looked at the money with a frown and asked "Is that it?" "Sorry, that's all I have now. Well, see ya!" Axlect grinned nervously as he Gate Out. Rachel sighed in annoyance.**

**A few minutes later, we arrived in Sigma Server and saw Kite and Zoey talking to some people, the two called Kite and Zoey fits what Ran-chan, Rachel and their friends told me. But I saw some people I knew. It's Reina! …And Nanael! "N-Nanael!" I squealed happily as I ran up to her.**

**Nanael noticed me and has a panicked look and waved her arms up and down in panic and screaming "No! Stop, Melphaaaaaaaaaa!" I tackled her, and hugged her, she was under my breasts, but I don't mind.**

**"Oh! I missed you so much, Nanael, angel of destiny!" I cried happy tears. "Y-Yeah, nice to see you too, Melpha…" Nanael moaned. Zoey looked at me with a smile and asked "Are you a friend of Nanael?"**

**I nodded happily and said "Yes. And you must be Zoey, I heard so much about you from Rachel and your friends."**

**"So you must have come through the rainbow like portal." Kite figured. I nodded and said "And I figure you need my help in defeating the Cursed Wave." I stated with a serious tone.**

**"So Ran-chan and the others told you that, huh? We'll fill you in what's happening so far." Reina has a serious look on her face. I nodded in agreement. We must do whatever we can to help everyone and defeat the enemy responsible for this madness.**

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Thundercloud General

A/N: Well, next chapter is the final chapter of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc, after that, we head straight back to the main plot. Like I said in previous chapters, Arc 3 is longer than the other two and I hope to make Arc 4 longer than Arc 3. Anyway, see you next time!


	65. The Thundercloud General

A/N: Well, here it is, the final chapter to the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc, after this chapter, no more mini-arcs. We're sticking back to the main plot with our heroes helping Nuke regain his confidence in the next chapter. So here is Claudette's Chapter! And thank you for 100 reviews!

Chapter 65: The Thundercloud General

We see a woman with red hair, has a detailed metal headpiece and a black wrap that goes from her neck to her collarbone. She wears a metal bikini top and small black panties, and on her right arm she has a black and gold bracer and a golden armband on her upper arm. On her left arm the black wrap continues up to her fingers, and she has a metal detailed full-length arm-guard. On her lower body she has a large, black flowing cloth wrap on her hips, and black thigh-high boots. She has a large blade like almost an Heavy Blade weapon on her back. Her name is Claudette Vance, half sister to Reina and Elina…

**Claudette's POV**

**This world… It reeks of darkness. What is this world called The World I have been sent to? I was in a desert like area pondering the questions people called players told me.**

**Also, I learned something… I learned I was what they called an anime character in their world and Queen's Blade was what they called a TV show. I refused to believe such rubbish. But… I find it a bit true…**

**And to add it all, I stopped feeling hungry and thirsty. Could this world have something to do with this? I remember when I first met people called players, they told me about this world being what they called a video game and the problems its having… What caused this? I do not know the answers.**

**When I walked a bit further, I heard something… "…Oh No Melon!" I unsheathed my sword, Thunderclap and shouted "Who's there?!" In about 20 seconds, I found the source, it was a batch of watermelons with cute faces on them.**

**In a few seconds, my stern look left me and I shouted out "How cuteeeee!" I ran up to them and inspected the melons. How cute… These melons have faces on them. If I remember what those players told me, they're called Grunty Food for things called Grunties. How I would love to meet a cute thing like a Grunty.**

**After admiring the melons for about 2 minutes I regain my cool and continued on.**

**I was standing before what they called an dungeon. "…This should be a test of my skills in this place." I muttered to myself as I entered the dungeon.**

**I was in the first floor in the third room. I stood before a magic portal. I got near it and it made a giant appeared. I smirked to myself as I got Thunderclap ready. The giant swung its spiked balls at me, but I dodge rolled out of the way and rushed in and slashed it five times with my sword.**

**The giant moaned as it kicked me in the chest and knocked me into a wall. "Damn you!" I shouted angrily as Thunderclap charges with lightning and I rushed in and slashed it five times, killing it. Purple words and numbers appeared, they are what they called EXP and if what they say is right, if I gain enough EXP, I will level up as they say. I said nothing as I sheathed Thunderclap and went into the next room.**

**The next room has another magic portal and when I got near it, a treasure chest appeared, but it was blue. I ignored it since I'm not interested in treasure and went into the next room.**

**I see two magic portals and when I got near them, goblins appeared and casted spells on me, giving me damage. "Damn it…" I growled as I readied Thunderclap. My greatsword was charged with lightning as I swung it, lightning appeared and striked down those foolish goblins, killing them. I got some EXP and golden words called Level Up! Appeared above me.**

**"…What a waste of time." I muttered as I head into the next room. **

**The next room has another magic portal and it made two mimics appear. The players told me that mimics can be a hassle and can confused you if you're not careful. But I was ready, I readied Thunderclap again and managed to use spells to strike them down, earning more EXP. I said nothing as I entered the next room.**

**The next room has stairs that leads to the second floor. "…Is there any challenge worthy of my skills?" I muttered as I walked down the stairs.**

**When I entered the third room of the second floor, I saw another magic portal, I got near it and another treasure chest appeared. Disgusted, I went into the next room.**

**Another magic portal is in this room and some unworthy monsters appeared, I dispatched them easily.**

**The next room has monsters in it, but they were no match for me. …Are these monsters worth killing?**

**The next room has stairs leading to the third floor. I knew for a fact that my skills are growing in this world, I took the stairs down.**

**The second room of the third floor has monsters in it, some of them tried to charm me so they can kill me, but I managed to destroy them in an instant. Grunting to myself, I entered the next room.**

**The fourth room has some treasure chests, but like before, I wasn't interested in them, so I went into the next room.**

**The fifth room was a hallway with a magic portal, it made a golem like monster appear. I was ready.**

**The golem used its lance hands to try to hurt me, but I used Thunderclap to block it and rushed in and slashed it five times with my greatsword. The golem casted a spell which resulted in demonic like fingers appearing and hurting me for large damage.**

**Growling to myself, I used one of my attacks to hurt the monster, giving it some damage. The golem used its lance arms to give me some damage, but I managed to recover by using recovery potions some players were kind enough to give me to restore my strength.**

**I charged Thunderclap again and slashed it five times, giving it what they called an elemental critical. I smiled to myself, this is a worthy foe. The golem charged at me, but I got out of the way as it crashed into a wall. I got behind it and slashed it five times with my sword.**

**The golem was getting pissed off as it used the spell again, but I got out of the way and watched the spell missed me. I charged at it and slashed the golem five times, killing it. The doors opened as I sheathed my greatsword. I walked into the next room.**

**The next room was empty, so I easily walked into the next room.**

**The next room has some monsters, they were no match for me.**

**Another room has another golem, but I dispatched it easily. I then head into the last room of the last floor…**

**Inside was a floating statue with a treasure chest. Disgusted with this, I was about to leave till I see someone. It was a man who has blue paint over his body and he looked at me with a smile which made me frown.**

**"I'm surprised you made it to the end of this dungeon by yourself. My name is Bear, I look out for new players such as yourself, but seeing you managed to get to the Gott statue by yourself, you don't need my help, do you?" Bear smiled again.**

**I frowned again and said "I'm not a player. I am a competitor for the Queen's Blade." Bear looked at me with a surprised look. "Wait, so did you come here through a rainbow like portal into The World?" Bear asked.**

**I sneered and replied with "That's not of your concern." Bear nodded and said "There are a lot of weird things going on in The World with comatose victims, but you really are Claudette Vance from Queen's Blade. You should look for three players named Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka, I believe they will help you." He offered.**

**"No thanks." I said sourly as I walked away, Bear watched me go.**

**I was outside the dungeon and looked at the corrupted skies. Help? How foolish… I don't need any help on getting back home… But those players named Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka… They interested me… Perhaps they can lead me to… Them?**

To be continued…

Next chapter: Confidence

A/N: Well, that's the end of the Queen's Blade Character mini-arc; sorry if this is not longer than the last chapter. Anyway, I would love to go over some things to the readers.

1: Why I didn't add Aldra? I feel that Aldra has no role in Dot Hack Mew Mew until the end of the story, also, I feel if I add her, she would be turning people to stone wily nilly, so I decided not to add her.

2: I think I will go with the three pink haired girls from Koihime Musou and that will be the last KM characters I will add in this story, I swear

3: I decided to replace Toradora with School Rumble because I'm more familiar with School Rumble and decided to give the School Rumble characters bigger roles than their comic relief ones.

4: Why I decided to make a Queen's Blade Character mini-arc? Because I want to introduce the characters of Queen's Blade and do the story in their POV. Now that the mini-arc is finished, I will focus on the main plot again.

Well, next chapter, our heroes will help Nuke regain his confidence when he's feeling down, so stay tuned!


	66. Confidence

A/N: Well, we're back to the main plot. Anyway, School Rumble will appear in four chapters. Anyway, let's get back to the main plot!

Chapter 66: Confidence

Zoey checked her email and she got some new email from her friends. The first one is from Wiseman. It has no subject and it read:

**"I've sorted out the information about the Cursed Wave. I think it is time to compare our notes. Contact me when you two are ready. Let's meet at Sigma Town."**

'Looks like Wiseman has already thought up a plan to defeat the Cursed Wave… I better go see him when I got time.' Zoey thought as she read the next email. It was from Helba explaining about new types of virus cores. Zoey read the next email after that.

The next one is from Nuke and it was subjected "Yo!" And it read:

**"Wassup? I'm bad. It's kinda like I'm losing interest and stuff like that. Basically feeling kinda ugh… So, I want you two to help me! I think if I fight a strong monster, I'll feel refreshed, and might find out the reason why I've been down. So how about: Sigma Attracting Fated Ebb and Flow? Isn't it the perfect Keyword for me? Come with me to the bottom of the dungeon! Thanks dude and dudette!"**

'Poor Nuke… I better go help him out.' Zoey thought in pity for Nuke and replied with "Sure, me and the others will help you out!" She sent the reply.

The next email is from Marlo and it was subjected "Necrotic Eye" and it read:

**"Looking for a monster named Necrotic Eye. If you know where it is, take me there."**

'I wonder why Marlo is looking for that monster?' Zoey thought as she replied with "I'll check the Board for info. Hang tight, ok?" She sent the reply.

The next one is from Gardenia and it has no subject and it read:

**"Sigma Dolorous Promised Clavicle"**

'Another odd choice of keywords…' Zoey sweat dropped as she read the next email.

It was from Sanjuro and it was subjected "I give up" and it read:

**"To Kite and Zoey. I got an email from CC Corp. This is a special event for Samurai players: Only those who answer and follow the path correctly will receive the treasure: Tonosama Sword! If you would like to challenge yourself, come to: Sigma Soaring Sky Madness Compass. I tried it myself, but I just couldn't do it. I need your help."**

'An event for Samurai players. Sanjuro really needs that sword. I'll help him later.' Zoey replied with "We'll help you as soon as we can." She sent the reply.

The next email is from Tsusaka and it was subjected "The Board" and it read:

**"A newbie player just posted about going to a dangerous area by herself. We need to help her as soon as we can. Check the Board when you got time."**

Zoey responded with "Roger." And sent the reply. The last email is from Mimiru and it was subjected "About Wiseman's email…" And it read:

**"I got an email from Wiseman about how to combat the Cursed Wave. I'm heading to Sigma Server as soon as I can."**

Zoey replied with "I'm heading there too. Meet me, Kite and Tsusaka at Sigma Server." She sent the reply. Zoey then puts on her Neuro Goggles and went to The World's Board.

Zoey found some info by PEACE about the Necrotic Eye and it read:

**I met a monster named Necrotic Eye in the lowest floor of Sigma Spun Bloody Tragedy and totally got my ass kicked. Just warning you guys, you better prepare for this one."**

'Perfect. I better tell Marlo about this later.' Zoey smiled as she went to a next topic. She found what Tsusaka was talking about and its by someone named Terajima Ryoko. The thread was called "I'm Terajima Ryoko" and topic said 'Hello" And it read:

**"Hello. I am Terajima Ryoko. I haven't quite grasped how to get through the game so could someone help me? I'll be waiting at the B1 Floor of: Sigma Cracked Worst Milestone. Thank you very much."**

'Tsusaka was right. She is a newbie player. We got to help her as soon as we can. I wonder what kind of player is she?' Zoey thought as she logged into The World.

Zoey arrived in Sigma server and almost everyone was there with the exception of BlackRose, Balmung and the rest of players Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka met. Wiseman cleared his throat and said "If the matter is proceeding as written on the Epitaph of Twilight… …Then there are five more sings before the Wave…"

"So if we defeat them…" Ymir started to say, but Wiseman stopped her and said "No, there is still Cubia, the hidden one… But what role it plays is still a mystery." Wiseman stated. Nowa and Rana imagined Cubia as some big scary monster, they shivered at the thought.

"I wonder what Harald wanted to do in the world modeled after the Epitaph?" Kite wondered. "If only he was alive, we would have asked him directly…" Sousou frowned. "That is the question. Oh, I'll give you two this. I hope they'll help you." Wiseman smiled as he gave Kite and Zoey two virus cores. "You'll inform us if anything comes up, right?" Tsusaka asked Wiseman. Wiseman nodded as he logged out.

Just then, Nuke logged in. He sees the gang and smiled and ran up to them. "Hey gang! Ready to go to the area I wanted to go?" He asked energetically. "What the?! Who the hell are you?!" Risty demanded. "The name's Nuke Usagimaru. But call me Nuke for short. Anyway, I happen to know my best co-actors Kite and Zoey. Some of you looked like characters from Koihime Musou, Galaxy Angel and Queen's Blade. Perfect! Let's tag along!" Nuke grinned again.

"W-What?! Why would we?!" Forte gritted her teeth in anger. "Let it go, Forte." Mearill sighed in frustration. "Don't worry, he'll be ok to get along with. Kite, me and Nuke will form our first party, Tsusaka and Mimiru will form a second party, Reina, Kan'u, Ryubi, Kochu and Inuyasha will come along as well." Zoey smiled.

Mimiru looked at Nuke. 'He looks almost exactly like Crim, but he was not that goofy." She sweat dropped. "Let's get this over with." Inuyasha grumbled as the chosen groups went to the area Nuke described.

A few minutes later…

"Take this!" Nuke shouted as he used a skill to finish off a wood maiden. He looked at the defeated monsters with a frown and said "Nah, that didn't cheer me up."

"Say, Nuke. How did you meet Kite and Zoey?" Reina asked, looking at the Long Arm oddly. "Oh! They were my first fans when they came to my show on Lambda Server. At first, I thought they were distractions, but they used some weird skills to turn monsters into weak monsters! I thought it was soo cool that you can reduce monsters to weak ones! I want to learn how to do that!" Nuke beamed.

"You mean Data Drain, right?" Zoey smiled nervously. "Data Drain? Is that what those skills are called? Could use some work on the name thing." Nuke blinked. Kan'u sighed and began to explain everything that has happened so far to Nuke.

"Wow! I didn't know CC Corp were holding an event like that!" Nuke beamed again. "It's not a event, damn it!" Inuyasha growled. "Mr. Inuyasha, please don't be hard on Mister Nuke. He just needs time to realize this is not an event." Ryubi pleaded.

Inuyasha looked at Ryubi's pleading eyes and muttered "Fine…" "Great! Let's move on!" Nuke urged. Everyone sighed as they head into the next floor.

The parties stand before a magic portal in the next room. "Alright, gang! Time to fight!" Nuke shouted as they got near the magic portal and a giant monster appeared. Tsusaka used spells to give it some damage.

Kite and Zoey double teamed on the monster to give it some damage. Nuke rushed in and jabbed it five times with his spear. The monster got some hits on the parties. Ryubi rushed in to try to slash it with her sword, but it hit her five times with its claws. Inuyasha shouted "Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha's ultimate sword attack make short work of the monster.

"Awesome! I didn't know such a powerful skill exists!" Nuke beamed excitedly. "It'll… take some time to get used to." Zoey smiled nervously. The parties pressed on.

Eventually, they reach the last room of the last floor of the dungeon.

They see a red monster waiting for them. "Whoa! That one looks strong! Let's go!" Nuke gasped as the parties rushed in to fight it.

Mimiru goes first and she shouted "Calamity!" She hit the monster called the Wonder Demon for medium damage. The Wonder Demon hit Ryubi for medium damage. She glared at the monster and slashed it five times with her sword.

Kan'u spins her spear around and thrusts it at the monster 4 times, giving it some medium damage as well. The Wonder Demon casted fire spells which hit the parties for large damage, but Tsusaka used healing spells to heal his friends.

Kochu fired arrows at the Wonder Demon, giving it some small but powerful damage. Inuyasha used Wind Scar to give it some damage. The Wonder Demon hit Reina with fire spells that leave large damage.

"Damn it!" Reina growled as she slashed it five times with her sword. Kite rushed in and shouted "Stacatgo!" and hit the Wonder Demon five times adding medium damage. "Revolver!" Zoey spins her blade and hit the Wonder Demon for large damage.

The Wonder Demon was relentless in casting fire spells left and right, but the parties weren't worried, eventually, they triumphed over the beast.

Nuke was in thought for about 40 seconds then he smiled and said "I see! That's why! I get it now…" "You thought of something about your depression, Nuke?" Kochu smiled. "Yeah, you see, up until now I've been acting like I'm trouble against an really easy enemy, right? But that's no good. You gotta actually put yourself in danger. Do you get it?" Nuke smiled.

"Uh… Yeah…" Tsusaka looked at Nuke oddly with his friends. "Oh, you just thought that you wouldn't want someone like that in your party, huh?" Nuke raised an eyebrow in humor. "W-What?!" Mimiru gawked. "Don't worry, I won't take it too far. Well, we did what we came here to do, so let's go home." Nuke grinned as he used a Sprite Ocarina to leave the dungeon.

Mimiru looked at her friends. "Did you get what he was saying?" The rest of the gang shook their heads no. Mimiru sighed.

To be continued…

Next chapter: The Lost Angel

A/N: Next up, our heroes will meet Terajima Ryoko and her appearance will shock Tsusaka. So stay tuned for more Dot Hack Mew Mew!


	67. The Lost Angel

A/N: Here is the chapter with that cute and innocent Heavy Axeman: Terajima Ryoko!

Chapter 67: The Lost Angel

The parties after parting with Nuke arrived back in Sigma Server. "Well, I'm glad Nuke has regain his confidence." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. So Tsusaka, we're heading to the area to rescue this Terajima Ryoko character?" Mimiru asked him.

Tsusaka nodded and said "She should be in the lowest level of Sigma Cracked Worst Milestone."

Milfeulle's eyes widen in excitement. "I bet she's a damsel in distress held hostage by monsters for who knows what!" Kokoma's left eye twitched. "R-Really, Milfeulle…" He muttered.

"So who will go with us? We'll add Tsusaka to our party now that Nuke has left." Kite stated. "I'll go. My people taught me to help people in need." Tomoe stepped forward. "If Miss Tomoe is going, then I simply cannot ignore Miss Terajima Ryoko's plea for help." Melpha stepped forward as well. "Eh, sure, whatever… I've some time." Nanael stated, looking at her nails even though she had gloves on.

Reika and Midori logged in. "I heard from Wiseman that he has formulated a plan to defeat the Cursed Wave?" Reika asked with a smile under her mask. "Yeah, once Wiseman has finished his plan, he'll fill us in to save the comatose victims and defeat the Cursed Wave." Zoey did some hand gestures with a smile.

"That's good." Midori smiled. "We're heading to Sigma Cracked Worst Milestone to rescue a player named Terajima Ryoko in the lowest dungeon of that area." Kite stated.

"Alright, let's head there now!" Midori cheered. After their parties were formed, the two parties, Tomoe and Melpha went to Sigma Cracked Worst Milestone.

The parties arrived at the dungeon. Melpha looked at the dungeon's entrance up for a few seconds, and down for a few seconds. "It's strange. Do monsters lurk within those dungeons in this world?" Melpha asked Kite.

"Yeah, the monsters are strong, but once you defeat them, you'll earn-" "Treasure!" Nanael interrupted.

"Huh?!" Mimiru and Zoey looked at Nanael in both confusion and annoyance.

"Once you beat the monsters, you'll earn treasure and sell them for some cash or currency in whatever this world has!" Nanael then stands dramatically and shouted "It's all about being the richest in The World!" Imaginary waves struck the background.

Melpha's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Oh wow! Miss Nanael knows everything!" She praised the selfish angel. Tsusaka smacked his head with his hand and muttered "Oh brother…"

"Let's… just go into the dungeon and find TR…" Midori suggested with a sweat drop. Everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the dungeon.

In the second room, they stand before a magic portal. Kite got near it and a Comad Goo appeared. "Oh joy, a Comad Goo…" Mimiru made a face with a deadpan voice.

"Heh, this doesn't look so tough." Nanael said cockily as she got her sword ready.

"Don't get cocky, Nanael." Kite warned, getting his weapons ready and continued by saying "That Comad Goo is tougher than the other monsters."

But Nanael didn't listen and used holy arrows to fire at it, but to her shock, it absorbed the attacks.

"W-What the hell?!" Nanael gawked as the Comad Goo spins like a tornado and hits Nanael for bigger damage.

"See? What did we tell you?" Zoey smiled in a bored look as she rushed in and slashed it five times with her sword.

"Allow me!" Melpha struck another of her Holy Poses, the parties looked at her oddly except for Tomoe and Nanael.

"Um,. Melpha… What are you doing-" Mimiru was cut off by the sound of holy energy which struck the Comad Goo for bigger damage.

"W-Whoa… Melpha, that was sooo cool!" Zoey gawked as she looked at Melpha in awe and wonders how she can do that without wasting SP. But she remembered that Melpha and the other Queen's Blade contestants are not players of The World and can use an infinite amount of SP.

"The Holy Poses have been passed down through my family for generations." Melpha closed her eyes and smiled. However, she was knocked into a wall by the Comad Goo when she's not paying attention.

"Melpha! Hang on!" Midori leaped into the air and shouted "Calamity!" She slams her blade down on the Comad Goo, giving it some damage.

The Comad Goo used its lance arms to strike Midori into a wall like Melpha after her attack.

"The Comad Goo is weak to darkness attacks. Try using Dark spells." Reika advised.

Zoey then thought of something and saying "I got some dark spells! Everyone, keep the Comad Goo busy while I cast Dark spells!"

"Roger!" Everyone nodded as they circled around the Comad Goo.

Tsusaka also has dark spells and casted them, giving the Comad Goo some elemental damage.

Mimiru rushed in and slashed the Comad Goo five times with her sword before the Comad Goo knocked her away.

Kite rushed in and used Twin Dragon to inflict some damage on the Comad Goo.

Tomoe used her katana to inflict heavy damage on the Comad Goo.

Nanael and Melpha combined their attacks to give the Comad Goo some damage.

Finally, Zoey finished the battle by using the powerful dark spell in her list of spells to finish the Comad Goo off. The Comad Goo fell down on its back, dead.

"We did it!" Midori cheered, hoping up and down.

"Yeah, what a tough sucker…!" Nanael panted heavily as she wiped some real world sweat from her world off.

"Still, we must hurry and save Miss Terajima Ryoko." Melpha stated as she adjusted her glasses.

"Right… She should be in the lowest level of the dungeon." Zoey nodded as the parties pressed on.

The path to Miss Terajima Ryoko was tough… The parties have to make their through tough monsters and gathering treasure (To Nanael's joy) and finding the right path. But what they're thinking right now is about who is this Miss Terajima Ryoko that ventures into a dungeon all by herself? Putting that aside, the parties must rescue her from whatever fate she may be facing. They sure don't want her to become one of the Lost Ones…

Eventually, the parties made it to the end of the dungeon and they saw a girl. When they got near her, Tsusaka gasped in shock.

"S-Subaru?!" He choked out in shock.

However to his disappointment, this girl looks nothing like Subaru, his friend and one true love.

She as a character design that resembles an angel… She has golden brown hair with a halo and a shiny white dress. Her angelic wings gives her the ability to hover above the ground slightly, as shown when commanding her to heal the party.

"Subaru…? No, my name is Terajima Ryoko. This may be an awkward question but… Where am I?" The girl now indentified as Terajima Ryoko asked, looking around in confusion.

"You mean you don't know?! You must be a stupid monkey!" Nanael frowned, placing her hands on her hips and looked at TR with a stern and bored look.

"Nanael, shut up so you don't offend her!" Mimiru whispered harshly at her, Nanael grumbled as she folded her arms and pouted.

"This is B1…" Zoey smiled nervously and sweat dropped. 'She must have a lousy sense of directions…' She thought to herself as she looked at TR with a embarrassed look.

"…Oh, B5? I thought it was B1." TR covered her mouth in shock.

"…Do you want us to take you back to the first level? We already cleared out the monsters on the way here." Tsusaka offered, finally saying a word.

"R-Really?! Oh thank you so much!" TR closed her eyes and smiled and bowed politely like a princess.

The parties guided TR to B1.

TR looked at the parties with a smile that is like of royalty.

"Thank you so much for helping me. I haven't gotten your names. Would you mind telling me your names so we can exchange member addresses?" TR asked politely.

The parties introduced themselves to TR.

"Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka, Mimiru, Tomoe, Nanael, Melpha, Midi and Reika…. I won't forget those names. Um, if it is not too much trouble, will you form a party with me next time so I won't get lost again?" TR pressed her fingers nervously and looking down shyly.

"Sure. We'll make sure you won't make the same mistake again." Kite closed his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you so much, Kite! …Well, I got to get going now. Good bye everyone…" TR bowed politely as she logged out.

"Man, what a scatterbrain. She has no direction whatsoever!" Nanael raised her arms up in frustration, annoyed by the fact that they wasted so much time rescuing TR.

"Put a sock in it, Nanael! The point is… We helped her and we got her member address. That's all that matters, right Tsusaka?" Mimiru looked at Tsusaka who was silent. "…Tsusaka?" Mimiru asked worriedly.

Tsusaka snapped back to reality and looked at his friends nervously and replied "Oh! Um… Right, we did save her… Um, bye…" Tsusaka bowed politely as he logged out.

"What's wrong with Tsusaka? He's been acting nervously since we met TR." Zoey asked worriedly. Kite then figured something out on why Tsusaka was nervous and in shock.

"I think I may know… It's because he thinks TR looks like Subaru…" Kite stated in a matter of fact tone. "Huh?" The parties except for Mimiru looked at him in question.

"Kite is right… TR looks almost exactly like Subaru caused her character resembles that of an angel." Mimiru stated as she looked at the sky sadly.

"Poor Tsusaka…" Melpha looked down sadly now knowing why Tsusaka is acting funny.

To be continued…

Next chapter: A Flower's Life

A/N: So how do you like the appearance of Terajima Ryoko? Also, for now on, I will call her TR for short because it's much easily to tell her name. Also, I'm trying to improve my writing and grammar thanks to some advice to Some Random Tosser due to his review on my HDN, so props to you, SRT and thank you for giving some advice on how to make my stories better. Anyway, see you next time and sorry about this short chapter!


	68. A Flower's Life

A/N: Ah, so glad to see you reading this next chapter of this soon to be a hit fanfic. Anyway, I would like to go over a few things regarding the sequel.

I have discovered the magical use of Amazon gift cards so I won't have to worry about my debit card information being stolen and such. So soon, I will buy the first game of Dot Hack GU, Rebirth. So the sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew will be created in the near future depending on how I feel.

Now, here is Chapter 68!

* * *

Chapter 68: A Flower's Life

Zoey, Kite, Tsusaka and Mimiru logged in. Kite and Zoey told Tsusaka and Mimiru that they'll be going with a friend of theirs named Gardenia, so Tsusaka and Mimiru agreed to come with them to help her with a dungeon.

Mimiru looked around to see any sign of Gardenia. "So…" Mimiru began. "What does this Gardenia character looked like anyway?"

Kite closed his eyes and smiled and replied with "Well, she's cold at first, but deep down… She's a caring friend."

"Huh…" Tsusaka blinked. "I used to be like that when I was trapped in The World."

Zoey looked at Tsusaka in concern and asked "Hey Tsusaka? Are you still shocked about TR looking almost like your friend Subaru?"

"Huh?" Tsusaka looked at her in confusion, then looked away shyly and replied with "Y-Yeah… I mean, I thought Subaru was cured, but after seeing TR, I was wrong…" Tsusaka looked down sadly to the ground.

"Tsusaka…" Mimiru was also saddened by her friend's depression of his friend falling into a coma while playing this game.

Just then, Gardenia logged in. Mimiru turned around and gasped in shock as she sees who Gardenia is.

'T-That's… my character when me and my two friends started playing The World!' Mimiru thought in shock. How? She thought again as she looked at Gardenia in pure shock.

Gardenia looked at her coldly and asked sharply "What are you looking at me for? It's very rude… Mind your manners."

"Oh!" Mimiru blushed in embarrassment. "Um, sorry… You looked like someone I know a long time ago."

"Mimiru? What's wrong? You're acting funny since this Gardenia person appeared." Tsusaka asked in concern, looking at his friend in worry.

"Hmm…" Gardenia scratched her chin in thought. "If you think I looked like someone you know, The World has characters that looked similar. Anyway, we're heading to Sigma Dolorous Promised Clavicle."

"Right!" Everyone nodded in agreement as they warped to Sigma Dolorous Promised Clavicle.

Upon arriving in the area, they head straight for the dungeon.

* * *

Upon entering the dungeon, Gardenia turned to Kite and Zoey and asked "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you want to do?"

Kite and Zoey looked at her in confusion.

"It's not like we haven't thought about it before, but…" Kite started and then Zoey finished by saying "We won't know until the time comes."

"Why did you ask a question like that?" Tsusaka questioned, looking at Gardenia in concern.

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask… But you two are right. I would want to lie in a field of flowers and quietly wait for that time to come. And I will return to Mother Earth and nuture the flowers… No, don't mind me…" Gardenia smiled slightly as she then head into the next room.

The four friends looked at one another in confusion before shrugging it off and pressing on.

The second room has a magic portal. When they got near it, a Comad Goo popped out.

"Not again!" Mimiru growled in frustration at the sight of another Comad Goo, but she got ready, so did the others.

Tsusaka didn't waste any time casting spells on the Comad Goo, giving it some damage.

Mimiru charged at the Comad Goo with her blade raised, but the Comad Goo noticed her and knocked her into a wall with its speared hands.

"Damn it!" Mimiru growled as she struggled to get up, but Comad Goo was drawing closer and closer.

Mimiru stammered as the monster readies to impale her, but Gardenia got in the air and used her spear to inflict some heavy damage on it.

Now the Comad Goo draws its attention to Gardenia and tried to hit her with its spear arms.

"Triple Doom!" Gardenia jabs the Comad Goo five times with her spear, giving it some big damage.

Kite rushed in and slashes it five times with his twin blades. Kite back flips away from the Comad Goo's attack and he managed to get in another five slashes to the monster. The Comad Goo then hits Kite with its arms, giving him some large damage.

Now it was Zoey's turn. She got in from the back of the Comad Goo and slashed it in the back five times. The Comad Good turned around and hit her with its arms, but Zoey somehow blocked it and was pushed back against the wall. Zoey leaps up high in the air and landed in front of the Comad Goo and she let out a battle cry as she rushed in and slashed the Comad Goo five times with her sword.

Tsusaka casted more spells on the Comad Goo, giving it some damage. The Comad Goo got in front of him and tried to impale him with its arms, but Tsusaka puts up a barrier and blocked the attack.

"Hurry up guys!" Tsusaka shouted while struggling to keep his position. "I don't know how much longer we can take!"

Mimiru finally recovers from her damage and she and Gardenia leaped into the air, they let out battle cries as they combined their attacks to defeat the Comad Goo. The Comad Goo turned dark as it crumbled to pieces, defeated. Its remains vanished into thin air.

"Nice work you two!" Zoey commented as she, Kite and Tsusaka smiled at the teamwork they have done. Mimiru and Gardenia looked at one another.

"Gardenia…" Mimiru stated.

"Yes? What is it?" Gardenia asked, placing her spear on her back.

"You… looked like a character I once controlled before I created this character." Mimiru admitted as she looked at the ceiling shyly.

"Hmm?" Gardenia raised an eyebrow in concern. "You mean, you once created a character that looks like me?"

"Is this true, Mimiru? That your character wasn't the first one you made?" Tsusaka asked, looking at his friend in concern and wondering why Mimiru's character was not the first one.

Mimiru sighed and began to explain her story. She told them that she and two friends of hers once controlled a character that looked like Gardenia, how they been through the fun times together. And then how Mimiru's first character came to an end as she and her two friends abandoned their first character and Mimiru created the character they see now…

"Mimiru… I had no idea, I'm sorry." Tsusaka stated sadly as he looked at the ground in sadness.

"Don't be, Tsusaka…. I'm glad I met a friend like you and we met Kite and Zoey. Now we share a common goal: to help the comatose victims and restore The World to its former glory." Mimiru smiled slightly as she leaned on her sword a little bit.

"True. We need to work together to help Orca, Bridge and the other comatose victims." Gardenia nodded as she turned to face the door. "Let us get moving."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the third room.

Eventually, they made it to the second floor. Gardenia then turns to Kite and Zoey.

"You two asked me whenever or not I liked flowers before." Gardenia asked, staring at her friends. Kite and Zoey nodded.

"I didn't answer you two back then… but I'll tell you now. The life of a flower is extremely short. But in that brief moment in time, it lives with all of its might. I…" Gardenia looked down in sadness.

"Gardenia?" Zoey asked in concern, looking at her in worry and wondering why she asked such a question.

Gardenia said nothing as she walked towards the door; the parties were silent as they followed her.

* * *

The parties fought their way through the rooms and gathering treasure and equipment to use in their travels. But… They wonder why Gardenia pick keywords that have flower names in them. Mimiru couldn't help but feel relax to know that there is a character that looked like the first one she and her friends made. But what is wrong with Gardenia? Is she… about to…?!

* * *

The parties made it to the final floor and went to the Gott Statue. Kite got near the treasure chest and opened it. He got some rare items.

Gardenia then looked at her friends and said "It's time… It's goodbye here."

The parties looked at Gardenia in shock.

"Gardenia… Are you… No, you can't die!" Mimiru cried, virtual tears falling down her eyes.

"Dying? Who said anything like that? You must be mistaken… What I meant was that because I am busy, the amount of time I play online is short as a flower's life. I'm sorry for confusing you." Gardenia bowed her head in apology.

The parties looked at her in confusion before they understand what she meant.

Mimiru walked up to Gardenia. "Gardenia…" Mimiru began, extending her hand. "Let's exchange member addresses so we can travel together next time." She smiled.

Gardenia smiled back and exchanged member addresses with Mimiru. With a polite bow, Gardenia logged out.

Mimiru looked at the ceiling with a happy smile. She has made a friend with a character that looks like her old one. Her friends couldn't help but smile for their friend and comrade.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Monster Hunting

* * *

A/N: That was a really emotional chapter, wasn't it? Anyway, next time, our heroes will help Marlo search for the Necrotic Eye, so stay tuned!


	69. Monster Hunting

Chapter 69: Monster Hunting

The next day after work, Zoey checked her email. She got some new ones from TR, Wiseman, Kite and Tsusaka. She read Wiseman's email first which has no subject and it read:

**"Assuming the source of the infection is the Cursed Wave, our best course of action is to run a jamming program in the area where the Wave is believed to exist, and stop the spread. We will need Helba's assistance for this. Head over to Net Slum. I've also found the Keywords that will take you directly to it: Lambda Pulsating Truth's Core."**

'So Net Slum wasn't destroyed… That's relief.' Zoey sighed in relief and smiled to herself. She thought Net Slum was destroyed before the infection, but thanks to Wiseman, she was wrong. She read TR's email next and it was subjected "Have a Favor" and it read:

**"A while ago, I heard there is a very rare item at Sigma Generous Bemused Virgin. But I feel I'd get lost if I go alone… If you, Kite and Tsusaka don't mind, may I ask you three to guide me to the location?"**

Zoey closed her eyes, smiled nervously and sweat dropped. She was right when she and the others met TR; she has a lousy sense of directions. But nevertheless, Zoey replied with "Sure. We'll help you when we got time." And with that, Zoey sent the reply.

Zoey read Kite's email next and it was subjected "Wiseman's plan" and it read:

**"I just got an email about Wiseman's plan. We need Helba's help to stop the spread of the infection. Do you think it will work?"**

Zoey scratched her chin in thought about Kite's concern about Wiseman's plan. With a smile, Zoey replied with "I think it will work. If it doesn't, we'll think of something else. I bet Balmung would love to hear this plan when he got time. I bet even BlackRose got the email." Zoey sent the reply with confidence.

Finally, Tsusaka's email was next and it was subjected "About Wiseman's plan" and it read:

**"I read Wiseman's plan and I think it might work. If it does, then we're one step closer to saving the comatose victims."**

Zoey smiled, Tsusaka seems confident in Wiseman's plan, so she replied with "I think it might work too. But first, we must gain Helba's help in order to make this plan work." And the reply was sent.

Zoey then remembered the Necrotic Eye and she decided to email Marlo about it. And with that, she logged into The World.

* * *

Zoey appeared in Sigma Server. Kite and Tsusaka logged in as well. Kan'u, Kochu, Reina, Nowa and Ymir met up with them. And soon, Marlo logged in.

Marlo folded his arms and asked rudely "So, I hear Zoey knows where the Necrotic Eye is. Well? Where is it?"

Ymir frowned at Marlo's behavior and asked "Who's this rude man?"

Marlo glared at Ymir meanly and remarked "Shut up, midget!"

Ymir's face was red with anger and she snapped "M-Midget?! I am not a midget! I am a dwarf! D-W-A-R-F! A dwarf!"

"Now, now, Ymir… Marlo may be rude, but inside is a gentle heart… I think…" Kan'u reasoned with the dwarf while Kochu holds her down.

Marlo sneered and turned away and muttered "Black haired beauty bitch…"

Kan'u however heard that and her eyes were full of anger and she screamed "What did you say?!" She was about to jab Marlo with her spear until Tsusaka raised his hand to stop her.

"No, Aisha. We cannot spend time fighting amongst each other. We need to head to the area where the Necrotic Eye is." He reasoned in a calm and noble manner.

Zoey nodded and stated "The Necrotic Eye can be found in Sigma Spun Bloody Tragedy." After forming two man parties consisting of Kite, Marlo, Zoey and Tsusaka, the parties with Reina, Nowa, Ymir, Kochu and Kan'u went to Sigma Spun Bloody Tragedy.

* * *

Upon arriving in the area, Marlo looked around in caution. He turned to Zoey and asked "Are you sure the Necrotic Eye really is here?"

Zoey nodded and stated "The Board sometimes never lies. It has got to be here."

"Marlo…" Kochu began as she looked at the Rebel Blademaster. "Why are you interested in finding this monster?"

"None of your damn business…" Marlo grunted rudely as he head towards the dungeon.

"Geez, what a jerk…" Reina frowned as she folded her arms and looked at the Rebel Blademaster. "At least he has to be a good swordsman or something…"

"I don't know… Ymir sounds like that when we first met her." Kite laughed at his joke. Ymir glared at the Twin Blade before she followed Marlo.

The parties shrugged at this and head into the dungeon.

In the second room of the first floor, they got near the magic portal and out popped four Deadly Presents. "Damn… Not Deadly Presents. They're physical tolerated and only magic can harm them…" Marlo frowned as he got into a defensive position.

"They don't seem too hard… Now watch this!" Ymir showed a cocky smile as she charged at one of the monsters.

However, they casted a confusion spell on her, making her swing her axe randomly, some of her friends ducked to avoid getting hit.

"Y-Ymir! Watch it!" Reina growled as she dodged another swing.

"Not again!" Ymir shouted in frustration as Kite used a Restorative to cure her.

"Stand back… These monsters are mine." Tsusaka stated as he casted spells on the Deadly Presents, giving them some large damage.

Zoey decided to aid him by using spells in her arsenal and spell scrolls that give damage.

Eventually, they killed all the Deadly Presents.

Ymir panted heavily as she fell flat on her ass. "I thought… I thought those demonic women were the only ones with that spell…!"

"There are monsters other than the Maidens and Deadly Presents who know how to confuse players, so learn them or you'll pay the price!" Marlo snarled as he walked into the next room.

Ymir gritted her teeth angrily as steam came out of her ears, meaning she is pissed off. The parties head into the next room.

There was another magic portal in the fourth room, they got near it and a Gaia Turtle appeared.

"Another monster that has resistance to physical attacks…" Marlo muttered. Ymir looked at Marlo in shock.

"A-Another one?! How much of these things are we gonna find?!" She demanded. Marlo turned to the dwarf with a taunting smirk.

"What's wrong, midget? Scared?" He mocked.

Ymir's face was once again red with anger. She pointed her finger at Marlo and shouted "A Dwarf is never scared! And I'm not a midget! I'll show you the true power of axes!" Ymir was about to use her axe till Zoey grabbed her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye.

"Ymir, remember what we said when we first met?" Zoey asked her sternly.

Ymir remembered the advice Zoey and Kite gave her and said "I must show that axes are good not by brute force, but by showing the pros and cons of axes…. But that jerk Marlo started it!" She pointed her finger at Marlo who was not interested in the dwarf's rage rants.

"Marlo may be tough to deal with, but deep down, I think he's a really nice guy. Besides, the battle with the Gaia Turtle is already over. Look." Zoey smiled as she pointed to the defeated Gaia Turtle that Nowa and Tsusaka defeated.

"Wow! Thanks for showing me how to use scrolls, Mister Tsusaka!" Nowa grinned cheerfully, Lou did the same.

"No problem." Tsusaka closed his eyes and smiled.

"Great, now that you're done wasting time, move it!" Marlo snapped as he ran into the next room leading to the stairs. Ymir turned to Zoey with a soft smile.

"Y-You may be right about him. I think I know why he's making fun of me… It is to protect me. Let's head into the next floor." Ymir suggested, everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the next floor of the dungeon.

In the next floor, the parties encountered more Deadly Presents, but with Tsusaka at their side, it was no problem, they eventually made it to the third floor.

5 minutes later…

"Take thissssss!" Marlo screamed out his war cry as he sliced the Hydrosaurus, killing it.

Ymir then walked up to Marlo and looked at him, not making a face or emotions.

"Hey Marlo…" Ymir asked, looking at him while keeping her cool.

"Yes, midget?" Marlo glared at her, a frown on his face.

"What did you do in real life? Like your hobbies or job you have…" Ymir began, looking away shyly.

"Let's see… I get up in the morning, eat whatever shit breakfast I find, take a shower, work, eat lunch, after work, I go to a bar and drink beer, and then at home, I watched some boring anime except for Queen's Blade and after that, I go to bed. Happy?" Marlo glared at her even more.

Ymir closed her eyes, smiled nervously and sweat dropped. She stuttered "You… watched Queen's Blade?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favorite animes… Hell, I even collect Revoltech figures so I can pose them to what I see fit. But, you midget, are my favorite one. You kicked ass and take no names, even if you didn't win the Queen's Blade. I admired that…" Marlo smirked as he walked into the next room, followed by his friends.

Ymir was left behind for now. Ymir smiled softly as she looked at the ceiling.

"I have a fan… Strange, I never felt this way about having my own fan…" Ymir snapped back to reality as she followed her friends.

As they entered the final room, they saw a hideous monster with m any eyeballs floating by two wings. Kan'u screamed in fear.

"W-W-What the hell is that thing?!" Kan'u clattered her teeth in fear as she fell on her butt.

"This is the one…" Marlo growled as he unsheathed his sword.

"Is that the Necrotic Eye you were searching for?" Reina gasped as she too got ready.

Soon, everyone except for Kan'u got ready for battle. They charged at the Necrotic Eye, but right now, let's turned to BT for now.

* * *

BT appeared outside the church of Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. She was waiting for someone, but who is it?

BT tapped her foot patiently as she looked at the normal skies of the area.

'Strange… Out of all the places that have been infected in The World, this area remains intact… I wonder why…' BT thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard "Sorry to keep you waiting…" BT turned around to see Wiseman walking up to her with a smile.

BT smirked and simply said "Wiseman… Considered to be an experience player in The World and dealer of strange items not found in the game… I knew you would answer my email."

Wiseman chuckled and said "I was busy with something in real life. Now then, do you remember what you said to me in your email?"

"Yes." BT nodded as she looked at the skies. "It's about the Epitaph of Twilight and why it is connected to the comatose victims and the infection of The World…"

"I see…" Wiseman nodded and continued. "As you are well aware of what Kite and Zoey told you, the enemy responsible for this is the Cursed Wave… The same Wave mentioned in the epic poem by one Emmet Wielant." Wiseman stated.

"But… what I don't understand is how is this connected to the recent happenings in The World…" BT frowned as she turns around and looked at the church.

"The designs of The World are based on the Epitaph and Harald Hoerwick. Do you want me to tell you the story of Harald based on the sources I found on the web?" Wiseman turned to face BT. She nodded in response.

"Very well… After that, I will tell you the first verses of the Epitaph. According to what I learned, a few years ago, Harald and Emmet fell in love, however, Emmet has cancer… A rare type of cancer that cannot be cured by our current technology…"

"I heard…" BT nodded. "Emmet died in 2004 after she lost the battle to cancer."

"Yes. And Harald refused to accept and became obsessed with a certain project. He would immortalized Emmet's work by Fragment, the first version of The World. Plus, there are rumors that he was creating the Ultimate AI. However, he disappeared after Fragment was reconstructed into The World. Some say he died of heart failure, but no one knows for sure…" Wiseman stated.

"…Aura…" BT muttered.

"Hmm?" Wiseman looked at her in curiosity.

"It's nothing. Can you tell me about the Epitaph of Twilight?" BT asked, her gaze matching Wiseman's own.

"Right… I will get to the point." Wiseman cleared his throat and began.

Yet to return, the shadowed one.

Who quests for the Twilight Dragon

Rumbles the Dark Hearth,

And Helba, Queen of the Dark[2],

has raised finally her army.

Apeiron, King of Light[2] beckons.

At the base of the rainbow do they meet

Against the abominable Wave,

together they fight.

Alba's lake boils.

Light's great tree doth fall.

Power- now all to droplets turned

in the temple of Arche Koeln.

Returns to nothing,

this world of shadowless ones.

Never to return, the shadowed one,

Who quests for the Twilight Dragon…

Unknown where the Cursed Wave was born…

After the stars doth cross the heavens,

The sky in the East doth darken and air doth fill with mourning.

From the chosen land beyond the forest, a sign of the wave comes.

Riding the wake is Skeith, the Shadow of Death, to drown all that stands.

Mirage of Deceit, Innis, Betray all with the flawed image, and did aid the Wave.

And by the Power of Magus, a drop from the Wave doth reach the heavens, and creates a new Wave.

With the Wave, Fidchell, the power to tell the dark future, hope darkens, sadness and despair rule.

Gorre schemes when swallowed by the Cursed Wave.

Macha seduces with the sweet trap.

Wave reaches the Pinnacle, and escape none can. Tarvos still remains with more cruelty to punish and destroy.

And with the turbulent destruction after the Wave. Only a void remains. From deep within the void arrives Corbenik.

Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well.

BT was silent as Wiseman finished what he knows about the Epitaph. "I see… Then what is happening right now is connected to the Epitaph and why players are falling into a coma…"

"And there are five signs left that signal the arrival of the Wave… But, we have two people who can wake the comatose victims and restore The World to its original state." Wiseman smiled.

"Kite and Zoey…" BT stated as she looked at the church.

Now we returned to the gang about finish with the fight.

* * *

"Now! Ymir!" Marlo shouted as he charged at the Necrotic Eye, followed by Ymir.

Both of them yelled out their battle cries as they combined their attacks to cleave the Necrotic Eye in two, causing it to vanish in data.

"That… was scary…" Kan'u stammered, still on the ground, paralyze with fear.

"Well… we got him. I fought with this one a while back." Marlo commented as he sheathed his sword.

"O…kay…" Zoey looked at Marlo in question.

"What we don't know is… Why?" Kochu asked, looking at Marlo in concern.

"We were no match for it, and before I knew it, I was alone…" Marlo tighten his fists angrily.

"Did they all die?" Nowa asked, feeling sorry for Marlo.

"No, they just left me to die so I can respawn back at Root Town. Cowards… all of them…." Marlo spat.

"They didn't abandon you!" Ymir protested. "They must have realized they were out of healing items or low leveled to fight a beast like that! They still care about you!"

Marlo snorted and muttered "We'll see about that…" Just then, some players came in and gasped in shock.

A player named Tsutomu said "Marlo! There was information on the Board about the Necrotic Eye, so we thought you might be here."

"Who the hell are you?! Don't talk to me!" Marlo spat rudely.

"About the other day… We got freaked out, so…" Touru pressed his fingers nervously. Marlo was surprised.

"You came here just to say that?" Marlo gasped in surprise.

"Well, um… we're sorry. What we did was wrong…." Tsutomu bowed his head in apology.

Marlo glared at Tsutomu and snarled "You think that's an apology?" Tsutomu was silent.

Marlo then smiled softly which surprised everyone and he said "Oh what hell. I guess I can let it slide. But you two better not run again when we're facing a tough monster like the Necrotic Eye."

"T-Thank you Marlo…" Touru smiled softly.

"Now let's get out of here before those two jackasses Peace and Justice get here…" Marlo suggested, Tsutomu and Touru nodded as the three of them logged out.

"I'm happy for Marlo." Tsusaka closed his eyes and smiled. Then all eyes turned to Kan'u who is still shivering.

"L-Let's get out of here…" Kan'u stammered.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Wisdom of the Samurai

A/N: Next up is Sanjuro's quest, then after TR's quest, School Rumble will appear! (Throws party confetti) Anyway, this chapter is longer than the others because I had to add in that BT segment. So only a few chapters till the battle with the 4th Phase! Stay tuned!


	70. Wisdom of the Samurai

A/N: Sorry about the delay, everyone. I was busy playing Hyperdimension Neptunia for three days straight and I have almost forgotten about this fic. Well, here is Chapter 70, our 70th chapter! We're getting close to 100 chapters! Also, I will make Yakumo Tsukamoto and Oji Karasuma part of the comatose victims.

Chapter 70: Wisdom of the Samurai

Zoey, Kite, Kagome, Mimiru and Tsusaka logged in. They looked around. They see Kan'u's group tending to the Grunties, Reina and her group chatting while the Galaxy Angels and their supervisors were having another of their petty arguments.

Kagome looked at Mimiru and smiled. In her thoughts, she looked exactly like BlackRose.

"So you must be BlackRose's lookalike. My name is Kag, nice to meet you." Kagome bowed politely.

Mimiru chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously and replied with "To be honest, I created this character first before BlackRose copied me."

"Um…" Kite raised an eyebrow and replied in caution "I don't think BlackRose stole your look, just created it to her liking."

"Whatever, so what's up?" Mimiru frowned, but her mood brighten as she looked at Inuyasha and Shippo running up to the gang.

"Kag, you're late!" Inuyasha growled. "I know you had school studies, but we have an enemy to defeat now that Naraku is dead!"

"Sorry Inuyasha… As you know, I have a life too other than going to the past and playing video games." Kagome twirled her finger in a stern fashion.

"Wait… Going to the past?!" Mimiru looked at Inuyasha in bewilderment and then turning to face Kagome with a shocked expression. "Is going to the past possible?! I mean… I seen the movie Back to the Future and found out the consequences of time travel and stuff, but is this really true, Kag?"

Kag sighed and began to explain about her well which allows her to travel back in time to the Feudal Era.

"I see…" Mimiru nodded, now understanding how Inuyasha's lack of information about the modern era confused her. "So Inuyasha and his friends are from the Feudal Era which you, Kag can somehow go back in time to…"

"That's about right." Kagome nodded. "There is so many mysteries about our world that cannot be explained, like my time traveling well for example." Kagome stretched her arms and sighed.

"But…" Tsusaka began, finally saying something. "Aren't you afraid the government might find out and use it for their gain? I doubt they will do anything evil since some science fiction movies and novels say the world governments are evil and stuff." Tsusaka looked at Inuyasha who didn't say anything.

"Aw, don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll understand about it someday." Kagome closed her eyes and smiled as she looked at Inuyasha who blushed.

"So where are we going?" Inuyasha asked, folding his arms. Just then, Sanjuro logged in.

"Hey. Kite, Zoey. Ready to go to Sigma Soaring Sky Madness Compass?" Sanjuro then noticed Tsusaka and Mimiru as well as Kagome and Inuyasha. "Oh hey, Kag and Inuyasha….? Huh? Why do I see someone who looks like BlackRose?" Sanjuro eyed Mimiru who seems annoyed by mistaken identities.

"Oh for god sakes! Why do people keep mistaking me for someone that looks like me?!" Mimiru raised her hands up in frustration. "I'm not BlackRose! I'm Mimiru! MI-MI-RU! Get it memorized!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sanjuro who sweat dropped.

"Err… Sorry, Mimiru. You looked just like BlackRose." Sanjuro scratched his chin nervously. "Anyway, what's there?" Mimiru stated, forgetting about her anger on Sanjuro.

"There's an event for Samurai players there. If we get the questions right, Sanjuro will take home a powerful new sword." Kite explained, telling everyone about the sword.

"An event for samurai players, eh? Let's go get it then." Inuyasha urged, not waiting for a chance to test his samurai knowledge of the Feudal Era. "Well, Ok. It's gonna be tough, you sure you can handle it?" Sanjuro questioned, not taking his questionable gaze on the half dog demon.

"Feh, this will be a cinch, if it's about the Feudal Era, I know all about it." Inuyasha boasted, puffing his chest proudly.

"Um… Not exactly what you think… I think it's about modern day sayings." Sanjuro sweat dropped.

"Gah!" Inuyasha gulped, sweat dropping in embarrassment. "Well, let's try it out then. I'm sure some of us have brains enough to solve the questions." Mimiru closed her eyes and smiled nervously.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they went to Sigma Soaring Sky Madness Compass.

When they entered the dungeon, a System Admin was there to greet them. "Welcome… This is a special event for Samurai players. If you pass all the questions we have given you, you will take home the Tonasama Sword. Enter the first room if you're bold enough." The System Admin smiled.

The parties without hesitation entered the first room. Inside, they heard the Admin's voice.

"Please enter the answer on the first question… A Blank earned is a Blank saved."

"A what? What the hell does that mean?!" Inuyasha growled. Zoey however, figured it out. "It's a penny. A penny earned is a penny saved." Zoey smiled as she snapped her fingers in thought.

"Correct. You may proceed to the next floor." The Admin acknowledged as the door opened. "Alright, let's go!" Sanjuro grinned as they pressed forward.

Inside the third room, the Admin spoke to them again.

"Put in the following answer in the question: Patience is a Blank."

"Ugh…" Mimiru rubbed her temples in annoyance. "I don't even know what that saying is!"

Kagome this time figured it out. "Patience is a virtue. Inuyasha lacks patience, but he is full of virtue." Kagome closed her eyes and smiled. "Hey!" Inuyasha growled, slightly offended by that remark.

"Correct. You may proceed to the second floor." The Admin acknowledged once again as the doors opened, the parties nodded to each other as they went to the second floor.

Now we turned to the real world before we return to our heroes where one Miss Tenma Tsukamoto is visiting her sister Yakuma and her future lover Oji Harasama in the hospital after a few days ago, she found her sister comatose after playing The World and soon, she learned that Oji has also fallen into a coma.

Tenma in her school uniform was visiting her sister's room. She looked at her sister sadly.

"Hey little sis… It's me, your big sister again." Tenma smiled slightly as she looked out at the window. "I also paid Oji a visit in his room after the both of you were comatose…" Tenma looked at her sister who was unconsciousness and the systems were monitoring her health.

Tenma was silent for a moment as a single tear fell out of her eye and hit the floor, making a tiny splash. She sighed again. "Is it true? Is it true that you and Oji have fallen into a coma because of the online game, The World?"

Knowing she won't get an answer from her sleeping sister, she sighed again. "It feels silly coming from me… But why are people falling into a coma around the world because of one online game?"

Tenma buried her face with her hands and sobbed. "What should I do?! I'm a has been and failure without you!"

"Then, you should play The World to find out why she and Harusama fell into a coma…" A voice stated. Alarmed, Tenma turned to see Kenji Harima looking at her, as always, his sunglasses hid his face.

"H-Harima? How long have you been standing here? You pervert…" Tenma asked, looking at him in question.

"Now is not the time. After I learned that your sister and Harusama have fallen into a coma, I was both shocked and upset about this… What the hell is CC Corp thinking letting players fall into a coma…? And there this news about some famous scientist saying that people falling into a coma by playing video games is not true. Bullshit if you ask me." Harima stated as he walked over to Yakuma's bed and looked at her in pity.

"Wait, so you're saying we should play The World to find out why the two of them fallen into a coma?" Tenma covered her mouth in shock.

"Damn straight. If we find whatever is the cause of the comatose victims, we can destroy it to wake up the comatose victims. I already contacted the others about this and we're going into The World to find out what the hell is going on." Harima stated as he walked up to Tenma and extened his hand with a small smile.

Harima knew that Tenma likes Harasuma, so he has gotten over Tenma and now likes Eri Sawachika. "So, you in, Tenma?" He asked in a fatherly tone.

Tenma was silent for a moment before nodding and grabbing Harima's hand.

Now we turned to our heroes in the second floor of the quiz dungeon.

"Enter the answer in the following question. A Blank in need is a Blank indeed." The Admin stated.

"Oh man… That's a tough one…" Inuyasha frowned as he folded his arms and tried to think. "…A friend in need is a friend indeed. Friend is the answer." Tsusaka stated. The reason he knew is because he has no friends before he changed. Now he has friends and friends who are helping him save Subaru…

"Correct… Proceed to the next room with the next question." The doors opened and the parties pressed forward.

"Two heads are better than Blank…" The Admin riddled.

"Oh that's easy. It's one. Two heads are better than one." Kite snapped his fingers with a smile.

"Correct. Proceed to where the final question is." The doors once again opened. The parties pressed forward.

"Now, this is the final question. One's man trash is another man's Blank," The Admin questioned.

"Treasure. It's treasure. One man's trash is another man's treasure." Zoey smiled as she puts her hands behind her head.

"Correct. Congratulations. You have earned the sword. Proceed to the fourth floor where your reward awaits." The Admin praised as the doors opened.

And they did just that, the parties arrived at the Gott statue where Sanjuro opens the chest and got out a fine looking katana.

"Thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without you! Here's something for your troubles." Sanjuro smiled as he gave his friends some stat raising items.

"Thanks Sanjuro! We really appreciated it." Kagome closed her eyes and smiled.

"Call me anytime you need help." Sanjuro smiled as he logged out.

"Those questions were hard as hell!" Inuyasha growled as he rubbed his temples. The gang laughed at this.

To be continued…

Next time: The White Hacker's Test

A/N: I was going to do TR's quest next, but slight change of plans. Next up, Kite and Zoey will begin Helba's test after gaining the School Rumble gang's trust, can they do it and get Helba's help? Also, after TR's quest, it's the moment you're all waiting for, the battle with the 4th Phase: Fichell the Prophet! Stay tuned for more Dot Hack Mew Mew!


	71. The White Hacker's Test

Chapter 71: The White Hacker's Test

The next day, summer vacation was almost over, the students of schools around the world have only 35 days left of summer vacation before the next semester begins. The School Rumble gang realized they can still play The World to find out what happened to Yakuma and Oji and the other comatose victims even if their summer vacation ends. They logged into The World to find the ones responsible for the comatose victims.

Tenma logged into Delta Server. Her online character consists of her real world self with shorter hair, bigger breasts since she likes to have big breasts, her class of choice is a Heavy Blade which consists of a black full set of armor with only her back exposed with a large signs symbol on it and a large sword with a curve on it.

She looked at the corruption in shock. "W-What happened?! Is this part of the game?" Tenma stammered as she looked around. Then, the rest of the School Rumble group logged in.

Eri Sawachika's character consists of her real world self, only she has blue hair, wore a yellow robe with sign symbols that matched the ones on her face, and she wielded a spear.

Mikoto Suo's character consisted of her real world self with sign symbols on her face and purple armor which revealed her cleavage (Not flash them, you pervs! (veinmark)), she has a sword with a red handle and green blade and her hair has ribbons much like Tenma's real world self and her player self.

Akira Takano's character was based on her real world self, only wearing green armor similar to Marlo which doesn't have the skull looked but armor of a noble knight, her face is masked and she has no helmet and she wields a sword similar to Orca and Bear.

Karen Ichijou's character was also based on her real world self, only she wore priest clothes and has a wand similar to BT and Wiseman. She has a gold circlet on her head with a green diamond and black high heeled boots.

Sarah Adiemus choose a Long Arm and wore a Chinese red dress with sign symbols on it and her face, her character was like the others, based on her real world self and she has a javelin.

Lala Gonzales' character was based on her real world self, she choose a Heavy Blade and wore fully clothed brown armor and has a huge sword, she has sign symbols on her face.

And finally, Harima's character is like his real world self, only without the glasses, he wore darkish green knight armor with a blue sword with a yellow handle.

All the girls turned to Harima. "Alright, Harima… Where do we find the ones responsible for our friends' comas?" Lala frowned, tapping her foot impatiently.

Harima scoffed and said "In The World, I'm known as Kenji, meaning my first name. And don't ask me. This is my first time playing this game." He shrugged.

The School Rumble girls sighed.

"Well, I have been playing this game while focusing my studies so I'm basically a Level 25 Long Arm named Ei-Ei." Eri smiled. "And in this game, I'm known as Miki based on the Idolmaster character Miki Hoshi." Mikoto grinned.

"I choose my named Tenma like my first name." Tenma nodded happily.

"…Akiaki is my character's name." Akira said dully.

"Me? I'm Kallen based on Kallen from Code Geass…" Karen looked away shyly.

"Sally is the name I got from reading Sonic comics." Sarah laughed cheerfully.

"…Lala Duke is my name. And don't make jokes about it, understand Tenma?!" Lala glared at Tenma who gulped in fear and nodded hesitantly.

"Alright, enough squabbling you two…" Harima sighed in irritation. "We need to find out where we can get some info on the comatose victims."

The School Rumble girls pondered about this. Just then, Balmung logged in. He noticed the School Rumble gang and walked up to them.

"I take it you are new players. Normally, I would welcome you to The World and provide some guidance to newbies, but right now, I'm helping two people who are working to resolve the problems in The World." Balmung smiled as the School Rumble group looked at him in confusion.

"Say…" Tenma walked up to Balmung. "Do you know anything about people who have fallen into a coma because of this game?" She looked at Balmung with pleading eyes.

Balmung looked at Tenma sadly and asked "You… have friends who have fallen into a coma because of this game?"

"Yes! My little sister and future boyfriend have fallen into a coma because of playing this stupid game! Me and my friends are playing this game to find a way to wake them up! If you have any info that can be useful, please tell me! If Yakumo and Oji don't wake up soon, they'll die!" Tenma pleaded, virtual tears began falling out of her eyes.

"I see… Your little sister and future boyfriend have met the same fate as Orca, Bridge and Lady Subaru…" Balmung looked at her sadly as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Lady Subaru? I heard of her! She used to be the leader of the Crimson Knights before they disbanded! …Don't tell me she too has fallen into a coma?!" Eri gasped.

"Yes… The enemy responsible for this is trying to create chaos in this online game and needs to be stop. I will help you find a way to wake up the comatose victims. Look for three players named Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka. Like your friend here, they too are trying to save their friends. Now if you excuse me, I must help some friends of mine in a high level area." Balmung bowed politely as he used the Chaos Gate to warp to another server.

"Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka… I wonder what makes those three special." Sarah placed her pinky on her chin in thought and pondered about it.

"Who knows? Maybe that guy who mentioned them is leading us to them." Mikoto played with her hair. Kenji then noticed someone missing.

"Hey, where's Tenma?" Kenji asked confusedly, the girls looked around and found that Tenma went to a different server to find Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka.

"Oh hell… That girl went to a tougher server." Lala moaned. "Well, why don't we split up and gain some levels?" Eri suggested with an embarrass smile.

"Good idea, Rich Girl. In the meantime, I will try to locate Tenma before she gets into serious trouble." Kenji stated as he went to Lambda Server by the Chaos Gate.

"Hey Sally, Ei-Ei and Miki…? Will you help me in a low level area? I'm still getting used to the controls of this game." Karen shifted a little.

"Sure." "Ok." "Okay!" Eri, Sarah and Mikoto nodded as they formed parties of two and went to a low level area.

"Well it's just you and me, Akiaki, let's kill some monsters." Lala sighed in annoyance. "Hmm…" Akira nodded as they formed their party and went to a tougher server.

Now let's check in with Tenma. She was looking around Lambda server. Like Delta Server, it was also corrupted. It started to creeps her out.

"This area too… What's going on here? Could this mysterious enemy that the nice winged man spoke of is responsible for this? I hope I can find those three players soon…" Tenma sighed as she continued walking in Lambda Root Town.

Suddenly, she sees Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka at the Chaos Gate.

"Huh? Who are they?" Tenma asked, inching closer to the three.

"Alright. Tsusaka, you're familiar with Net Slum, right?" Kite asked him. Tsusaka nodded and stated "Yeah, I been there before… It's the place where I finally logged out. Kite, Zoey… You have been to Net Slum before?" Kite and Zoey nodded.

Tenma gasped in shock. 'Could it be them? The players the winged man mentioned?!' She thought as her heart in the real world beats harder.

'What should I do?' Tenma thought as she pondered what to do. Should she tell them about her problem? What if they don't believe her? Without hesitation, Tenma let out a yell as she ran straight into Kite, causing the four of them to warp to Net Slum.

Now let's turn to Eri, Sarah and Mikoto in a low level field.

The friends walked down a path after gaining some levels for Sarah and Mikoto. They looked up at the corrupted skies of the area.

"It's strange. People say hackers are responsible for what's wrong in The World…. Could they also be responsible for the comatose victims too?" Eri looked at her spear.

"We don't know that yet. If it were true, it will take someone with a skilled ability in hacking…" Sarah stated as she adjusted her spear on her back.

"Like the legendary hacker, Helba…" Mikoto frowned as she adjusted her sword a little and going over her items….

"Rumor has it that anyone who encounters Helba is never seen again… And there's another rumor that Helba is somewhere in The World…" Eri shivered at the thought of encountering Helba.

"Don't worry. Helba is rarely seen, if she was here frequently, the military will arrest her the moment they find her IP Address." Sarah grinned.

"I hope so…" Eri was in doubt about this. Is Helba really behind this somehow?

Let's return to our heroes…

Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and Tenma appeared in Net Slum.

Tenma screamed in panic as she looked around in shock and fear. "W-W-Wha-What is this?! This doesn't look like any area in The World!" She looked both ways frantically in panic mode.

Kite walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well, you shouldn't have bumped into me like that. But I take it you're a newbie?" Kite smiled softly.

"Y-Y-Yes… my name is Tenma. Some winged man told me to find you three…. Are you Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes…. Balmung must have sent you to find us. Was he helpful?" Zoey leaned down and looked at Tenma with a reassuring smile.

"Yes… He told me you're like me, who have loved ones who fell into a coma because of The World. I don't know why he pointed me to you three, but somehow, I feel I can trust you." Tenma twiddled with her thumbs nervously.

Before Kite and Zoey can tell them about what makes them special, Tartarga appeared. Tenma screamed in fright as she hid behind Tsusaka and screamed out "What is that thing?!"

"Tartarga! You're ok!" Kite gasped happily as he and Zoey ran up to him.

"It is good to see you two again. And I see you brought the Player Who Once Couldn't Log Out." Tartarga smiled as he looked at Tsusaka.

"Helba wanted to give you a message, Tsusaka. It said 'Welcome back to The World, Tsusaka. I want to test you three… Meet me at Sigma Tested Quicksilver Valkyrie as I want to test you three only. Don't keep me waiting. –Helba"

"Helba?! As in the famous hacker, Helba?! But why is a world famous criminal doing here in this online game?!" Tenma screeched in shock as question marks appeared above her head.

"Helba created Net Slum as a home to failed data and she's helping us find a way to wake Bridge, Orca and Subaru from their comas and restore The World back to its normal self." Zoey smiled.

"…" Tenma was silent as she looked down. 'Will helping Helba save Oji and Yakumo? But what if I get caught helping hackers?!' Tenma shivered as a thought came up in her head.

**"Tenma Tsukamoto… as punishment for helping a world famous hacker destroy the web, I hereby pronounce you guilty! I sentenced you to life in prison where you will eat peas and squash for the rest of your life!"**

**"Nooooooo! Not peas and squash! Anything but thattttttt!"**

"Uh, Tenma, are you alright?" Tsusaka asked, looking at Tenma oddly. "Oh!" Tenma snapped back to reality and smiled nervously and sweat dropped by replying "I-I'm fine, really."

"Oh. Before you go, will you help us with a little problem? A Data Bug found its way into our home… Normally, Helba would take care of it, but she's waiting for you at the moment. Would you three kindly take care of it?" Tartarga asked kindly.

"Data Bug?" Both Tsusaka and Tenma asked at the same time in confusion. Suddenly, the Data Bug appeared.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of that beast!" Zoey unsheathed her blade. "Come on, Kite and Tsusaka!"

"So that's a Data Bug…" Tsusaka frowned as he joined Kite and Zoey into battle.

"What about me?!" Tenma wailed. "You stay put. We'll handle this!" Kite told her as he used Twin Dragon to inflict damage on the Data Bug.

"Gae Slash!" Zoey slashed the Data Bug five times with her sword. The Data Bug which was a bird pecked at Tsusaka, giving him some damage.

Tsusaka counterattacked by casting spells on it, giving it some damage.

The Data Bug used its wings to blow some wind attacks at the party, giving them some damage.

"Stataccto!" Kite got close to the Data Bug and slashed it five times with his twin blades. "Its HP won't drop! What the hell is going on?!" Tsusaka gasped as he casted another spell on it, giving it some damage.

"Keep damaging it and watch as we use our bracelets on it!" Zoey told him as she got behind the Data Bug and slashed it five times with her sword. Kite leaped into the air and slashed it in the five five times.

The Data Bug dive bombed Kite, hitting him for large damage. Tsusaka casted another spell on it, giving it some damage, causing it to Protect Break…

"Now's our chance! Data Drain!" Kite shouted as he activated his bracelet and fired, rendering the Data Bug to a normal monster.

"W-Whoa!" Tenma gasped in shock and awe. "That… was the power of Data Drain. A powerful skill… Dangerous if misused." Tartarga was beside Tenma explaining it to her.

"What does it do?" Tenma asked him in concern. "It has the power to rewrite monster data… and it is the only power that can defeat the Cursed Wave…" Tartarga smiled as the party finished off the monster.

"Thank you kindly for your help. You better hurry to see Helba." Tartarga bowed in gratitude. "Thanks, Tartarga… We'll come back to see you and the others, we promised." Tsusaka nodded in response.

Zoey turned to Tenma. "Sorry, Tenma, but we need to see Helba alone." She bowed in apology.

"What? Please take me with you to meet with Helba! I want to ask her if there is a way to save Oji and Yakumo!" She begged. "Helba is only interested in seeing the three of us. Wait for us at Sigma Server till we get back." Kite told her as he placed his hand on Tenma's shoulder with a smile.

Tenma was silent for a moment till she nodded and replied with "OK. Just tell me everything Helba told you when you get back." The three nodded as the four of them exited Net Slum.

Now let's turn to Akira and Lala in a Theta area.

"Heeeyyyyaaa!" Lala screamed as she slams her blade on the monster's noggin, killing it.

Akira replied with "Enemy defeated, players saved…"

Three Wavemasters, one male and two female ran up to them.

"Wow! I didn't know you two were strong! Thanks for saving us!" The first female Wavemaster beamed in gratitude. "Don't mention it. We wanted to help others." Akira stated.

"But… What kind of name is Lala Duke? Sounds weird if you ask me…" The male Wavemaster stated dully.

Lala's eyes showed flames in them and she creamed "What did you say you bastard?!" In a instant, she grabbed the poor male Wavemaster by the head in a headlock and began pounding him.

"No, wait! I'm sorry! I meant it in a good way! Please forgive meeeeeeeee!" "Shut your face!" Lala screamed as she resumes kicking the shit out of him.

The second Wavemaster turned to Akira with a sweat drop and asked "Is she always like this?" Akira responded by nodding with a sigh.

Now we turned our heroes in Sigma Tested Quicksilver Valkryie at the end of the dungeon.

The party entered the last room where they see a Data Bug in front of them. "Let's take care of that Data Bug!" Kite shouted.

"Yeah, but it's a Comad Goo…" Zoey has a bored look when things looked grim.

Tsusaka thought about it for about 50 seconds till he snapped his fingers with an idea. "I have an idea. Let's try attacking it with long range spells. Do you two have any scrolls or equipment that has spells?" Tsusaka asked them. Kite and Zoey nodded.

"Alright, Tsusaka let's put that plan of yours into action." Zoey smiled as the three of them got ready.

Let's turn to Kenji for a moment.

Kenji was looking for Tenma in Lambda Server. So far, no luck.

"Damn it, Tenma… Where the hell are you?" He muttered. "Kenji!" Blinking, he turned to see Tenma running up to him.

"There you are. I was beginning to worry." Kenji smiled. "I see… Well, guess what? I found them! The ones who will help us along with Helba!" Tenma beamed happily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone… Helba? As in the infamous Helba?! Why the hell would a dangerous criminal be helping us?!" Kenji demanded.

"She's helping us find a way to defeat the evil Cursed Wave who are responsible for the comatose victims and The World's problems!" Tenma squealed.

"The what?" Kenji titled his head in confusion, a question mark appeared above his head.

This could take awhile, let's turn back to our heroes near the end of their battle.

"Data Drain!" Zoey shouted as she activated her bracelet and fired, destroying the Data Bug and making the Comad Goo normal. Tsusaka and Kite used Darkness Spells to defeat the monster.

The party were panting heavily before Helba warped in. They turned around to meet her face to face. Helba smiled and commented "The two of you have gotten strong."

"Thanks… It was thanks to our friends who helped us regain our confidence." Zoey smiled. Helba turned to Tsusaka who looked away shyly. "Welcome back, Tsusaka. I see this time you're on a mission to save Lady Subaru." Helba stated, the smirk not leaving her face. Tsusaka nodded.

"Was that all a test?" Kite wondered. "The success of the operation depends on you three… …But good work. I heard from Wiseman about his plan. I think his tactics might work against the fiendish Cursed Wave. I'll accept your offer. Give him my regards." Helba bowed politely as she logged out.

Zoey, Kite and Tsusaka turned to each other and smiled, they're one step closer to saving everyone and The World!

To be continued…

Next time: The Angel's Passion and Determination

A/N: Whew! What a long chapter and it took this long to finish. Anyway, Nyx will finally join forces with our heroes in TR's quest, then, after that, it's the moment you're all waiting for, the showdown with the Fourth Phase! Stay tuned!


	72. The Angel's Passion and Determination

A/N: Look out for a trailer for the sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew, a trailer based on Hague Yuusha no Estetica with The Familiar of Zero replacing Queen's Blade Rebellion!

Chapter 72: The Angel's Passion and Determination

Zoey has a day off today and she was checking her email. She got some new ones. The first one is from Tenma and it was subjected "Profile" and it read:

**"Name: Tenma Tsukamoto. Age: 16. Hobbies: Archery. I'm bad at cooking, sports and academics, but I'm pretty good at martial arts. XD. Anyway, I don't know why you and Kite have those powers of rewriting enemy data, but I got to help you, for Ooji and Yakumo!"**

"Heheh…" Zoey smiled nervously and sweat dropped, but recovered and replied with "Of course. We got to do whatever we can to stop the Wave from claiming more innocent people." She sent the reply.

Next up is Harima and it was subjected "Hey…" And it read:

**"Name's Kenji Harima. I heard about you and that Kite player with those really weird skills. How I believe all of this is still new to me. If I do anything perverted (No, I do not!) it's a misunderstanding."**

"Hmm…" Zoey pondered about it for about 50 seconds till she replied with "OK… I think you're a nice guy." She sent the reply and went to Eri's email next. Eri's email was subjected "About myself" and it read:

**"My name is Eri Sawachika, age 16, Heir to Sawachika Computer Inc. My family is responsible for the ALTIMI computers you're using now by ALTIMI. Anyway, I heard from Harima and Tenma that you and this Kite person have strange powers in The World and you two and this Tsusaka person know the legendary hacker Helba. Ask me this… Is Helba really trying to help us? My father spoke badly of her when she hacked our family's company's computers, but the strange thing is, nothing was stolen. Is Helba really a good person?"**

Zoey smiled as she replied with "Of course. She taught us how to use our bracelets and taught us about the virus cores we gained from monsters and Data Bugs. The Data Bugs I will show you later. We have gained her help in order to help the comatose victims and restore The World's systems. I have a feeling you should trust her." Zoey sent the reply.

Mikoto's email was next and it was subjected "Hello!" And it read:

**"Hello Zoey! Nice to meet you! Do you live somewhere near Kyoto? I read your profile and you live somewhere near Shibuya. Cool! Anyway, I heard you and this Kite player have strange powers that can rewrite enemy data… I want to see it in action and want to know how you got it."**

"Thanks. I'll be sure to visit you in Kyoto when I got time." Zoey sent the reply. Next up was Wiseman's email. It has no subject and it read:

**"I've received consent from Helba. According to her, the data of Sigma Turbulent Distrusting Ice Wall is increasing. The possibility of one of the 8 signs hiding in this area is high. Upon your arrival, we will commence the operation. Head to that area with BlackRose, Tsusaka, Mimiru and anyone who is available for this operation to succeed."**

'One of the 8 signs is hiding there. I got to make sure we defeat one of them to stop the Wave from harming more people!' Zoey thought seriously, just then, she tensed, she turned around in her chair to see Aura transparent again.

"Aura!" Zoey gasped. Aura once again made hand signs. "Fichell… Has… One… Of… My… Segments… Please… Get… It… Back… So… I… Can… Speak… To… You… Without… Hand… Signs…" Zoey figured out the hand signs as Aura faded away again.

"Aura… Hang on, I'll get your piece back from Fichell. But right now, I need to help TR with that dungeon." So without a doubt, Zoey sent emails to Kite, Tsusaka and the rest of the gang and puts on her Neuro Goggles and logged into The World.

Zoey appeared in Sigma Server with Reina, Nowa, Alleyne, Risty, Kan'u, Chohi, Ranpha, Koga and Cho'un. Soon, almost everyone logged in. "What's up, Zoey? We heading to help TR get that rare item?" Mimiru smiled.

Suddenly, a voice stated "Hello Little Lady." All eyes turned to Bear walking up to them with a smile. Kite gasped in shock and muttered "O-Orca?!" He nearly dropped his blades in shock.

"Orca?" Bear laughed before continuing "I'm not the famous Orca, but I'm Bear, nice to meet you. I heard from my stepdaughter about you two. It's very nice to meet you." Bear smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mister Bear.' Chohi smiled as she walked up to him and shook his hand. Just then, TR logged in.

She looked around and smiled and said "Hello everyone. I see you're friends with Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka. My name is Teraijma Ryoko. But please call me TR for short." She bowed politely.

Bear looked at TR oddly. "Is there something wrong?" TR titled her head in confusion. Suddenly, Edajima logged in. He looked around and saw Kite and Zoey. "I heard from Mr. Wiseman. Please use these." He gave Kite and Zoey two virus cores.

"Um… I…" Edajima pressed his fingers nervously and stated "I'm rooting for you guys. Please save the comatose victims and The World!" He logged out. Kite and Zoey couldn't help but smile.

"I see you two are quite famous. Must be because of those powers you wielded." Bear smiled as he folded his arms. "Um… If it isn't too much trouble, can we go to the area I requested?" TR asked politely.

Everyone nodded in agreement and a huge army of parties were formed with Bear being the newcomer to this army of heroes and they went to the area where TR has heard of the rare item.

However, when they arrived at the snowy area, they saw something that shocked them. A Data Bug!

"Ah! What is that?! Do monsters have green spots over their bodies?!" TR covered her mouth in shock. "What is that thing?! I have never seen a monster like that with green spots!" Reina gasped as she got ready for battle.

"Data Bug!" Kite, Zoey, Tsusaka and almost everyone gasped in shock. "Data What?" Bear, the School Rumble Gang, Reina and her chosen group and TR asked confusedly. Then more Data Bugs showed up.

"We can't fight these many Data Bugs, our characters will be infected by the viruses if we keep using Data Drain!" Kite gritted his teeth.

"Kite is right. We need to make a run for the dungeon!" Tsusaka nodded as everyone headed into the dungeon.

The parties were panting heavily. They have ran so much from the Data Bugs. It was then Kyo speak after gaining some breath.

"TR… Why… The fuck… did you pick an area infested with Data Bugs?!" "Now, now, I'm sure the lovely Miss TR has a logic explanation for this." Icchiban-Boshi reasoned as he walked up to TR and held her hand.

"Do you, TR-san?" He smiled charmly. "Um…" TR looked away and blushed madly. "I have no idea what Data Bugs are and that this area is infested with them…" She stated in embarrassment.

"So, the rumor about an unbeatable enemy is true…" Bear folded his arms and was in thinking mode.

"So how the hell do we beat an enemy that has infinite HP, huh?!" Lala growled as she tightens her fists.

"With these…" Kite smiled as he and Zoey showed everyone their bracelets. "W-What are those?!" Eri gasped in shock as she stared at the bracelets.

"They're beautiful…" TR muttered in awe.

"A great force…" Zoey began. "The powers they hold can either bring forth salvation or destruction at the whim of the user… That's what the girl Aura said to us when she gave us these bracelets." Kite said with a smile.

"So you two do know Aura…" Bear stated. Kite and Zoey told everyone about how they met Aura and the bracelets she bestowed upon them and the events leading up to this.

"So this girl named Aura needs our help in stopping this Cursed Wave so the comatose victims can wake up again." Harima stated as he looked at the ceiling. "If Aura really needs our help, we should help her." Sarah smiled slightly.

"If it means waking up Ooji and Yakumo again, then I'm all in for helping Aura!" Tenma shouted with determination. Soon, everyone agreed, well mostly those who believed Kite and Zoey's story to begin with.

Suddenly, they heard a wicked laugh and they turned to see Nyx walking towards from the front.

"I have finally found you, hackers! Now I will kill you!" Nyx grinned evilly as she readies Funikura. TR gasped in shock. 'Is that… Nyx from Queen's Blade?! Then… Reina, Nowa and Alleyne are from Queen's Blade too!'

With determination TR walked up to Nyx. "Nyx, right? Please, stop this madness…." She pleaded. "Get out of my way, girl… I'm about to kill the two hackers and one of the vile heirs to the Vance throne…" Nyx growled.

"Nyx… I have known about you since I watched your show on the Anime Network. I did my research and learned a lot about you… About how you lost your mother at birth, how you end up a horrible life at Vance Country, and how you found Funikura. And I feel sorry for you…" TR stated, her expression of determination not leaving her.

"W-What?" Nyx gasped as she lowers Funikura. Funikura was about to punish her again, but TR said "I know you have a horrible past and all, but right now, Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka are on a mission to help everyone. I don't know who told you this info, but please, find it in your heart to forgive the Vance family and put aside your quest for revenge…" She pleaded.

Nyx thought about it. Does Elina feel sorry for treating her like shit? This TR girl, she knows about her tragic past and the events in Queen's Blade… She has a feeling she and the others can be trusted. To her surprise, Funkura ceased trying to punish her.

She looked at the parties and stated "If you ever betrayed me…" She warned. "Don't worry, we won't. Welcome to our group, Nyx." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled.

Alright, to cut this short, the army of parties made it to the final floor and Kite and Zoey have to Data Drain some Data Bugs, but they made it to a pathway where the Gott Statue is.

As they entered the pathway, they saw a alien like monster walking towards them. "An enemy! Let's get him!" TR shouted as she charged at the monster. "Wait! I don't think that's a good idea!" Kan'u shouted.

Nyx gasped in shock as her new friend was about to rush in recklessly. TR let out a battle cry as she swings her axe and shouting "Take that!" She missed.

Blinking, TR swings her axe at the monster, but missed again. TR looked up and gasped in shock as the monster was about to strike her down. But then, Tsusaka rushed in and saved her just as the monster was about to hit.

"That one's powerful! You can't defeat it at your present level!" Kite shouted as he and Zoey charged at the monster, yelling out their battle cries. But the monster knocked them away. The monster was coming closer and closer towards TR and Tsusaka.

Tsusaka glared at the monster while TR watches in horror. Just as the monster was about to finish them off, Bear kills it with one swing of his sword. "Thanks Bear!" Tsusaka nodded with a smile.

"That was a close one… If that monster hit you, TR, heh, game over." Bear smiled as he sheathed his sword. "I'm sorry…" TR looked down and continued. "I was out of line and I… I… attacked carelessly. I'm completely… useless. I mess things up every single time without fail…" Kite walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Even in a game, I cause trouble for other people…" TR sniffled.

"It's alright, TR…" Zoey smiled as she placed her hands on her hips. "All you have to do is change and get better." Kite smiled. "Everybody, including us likes you a lot. You're our friend now." Tsusaka nodded with a smile.

TR was speechless for about 50 seconds, then, without warning, she embraced Kite in a heart warming hug. "Thank you, Kite… You know… You're special, I wonder why…" TR smiled as she closed her eyes and hugged him even more, making him blush.

Everyone have a hearty laugh.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Fourth Phase: Prophecy of Doom

A/N: Now… Here is a trailer for Dot Hack GU Mew Mew, the sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew!

**We turned to the Familiar of Zero world in a forest. Louise and Saito were doing battle with a mysterious stranger.**

**Saito was holding his against this mysterious stranger. He and Louise looked at their opponent.**

**He wore spiky black and red-gradient tipped protrusions littered all over his armor. His torso and abdomen are now once again no longer covered by armor, now covered by a tight, leathery purple piece with a red tattoo on it, akin to his initial 1st form. His facial marks are two curves on his cheeks, each with multiple juts coming out as they run down his face, likening to scars. And he has silver hair.**

**Saito panted heavily, he slowly smiled, so did Louise. "You're pretty good." Saito commented.**

**The man smirked and said "You too… But you're hardly worth my time…."**

**"Just one question… Who are you?" Louise asked, looking at him confusedly.**

**Without warning, the man knocked the two of them out with one blow. He sheathed his twin blades and said "The name's Haseo, the Terror of Death." A portal appeared. He walked towards it a little bit before stopping.**

**He turned to Saito and Louise unconsciousness bodies and stated "Familiar of Zero… An interesting world." Haseo entered the portal and went back to his world.**

**Revelation by Fayan plays**

**Musashi the Master presents…**

**The Sequel to Dot Hack Mew Mew…**

**We see Haseo riding his steam bike in some fields, his first form, with an serious look.**

**DOT HACK GU MEW MEW**

**We see Haseo battling some PKs without any mercy.**

**We see Haseo in the past holding a dying (Not really) Shino in his arms in a familiar sanctum.**

**We see Haseo crossing paths with Bridge in her new character.**

**We see Haseo staring in shock at Atolli looking at him with a smile.**

**We see Haseo clashing with York Nelly of Cross Edge, then with Yuri Lowell of Tales of Vesperia.**

**We see Haseo fighting Bordaux and her minions in a arena like area.**

**We then see Haseo holding his head in pain as he screamed out in anger.**

**We see Haseo in his second form saving Madoka from Puecelle Magi Madoka Magica from some Witches.**

**We see the Sages of Darkness in shadows with their eyes glowing red.**

**We see Haseo and Naruto Uzumaki clashing.**

**We see Haseo and Noire looking at each other in the eyes.**

**We see Ovan smirking evilly in some unknown area.**

**We see Haseo hugging Atolli who hugged him back.**

**Final scene shows Haseo and his friends confronting two players who looked somehow familiar, with Haseo transforming into the powerful Skeith, the screen fades black and the words Dot Hack GU Mew Mew appeared.**

**Coming soon…**

A/n: So, what do you think? Pretty awesome trailer, huh? Well, after I get the Dot Hack GU trilogy, I will write this sequel soon. So next up is the fated showdown with Fichell, the Fourth Phase, so stay tuned!


	73. Fourth Phase: Prophecy of Doom

Chapter 73: Fourth Phase: Prophecy of Doom

**"Fidchell…" **Morganna's voice called out, a mysterious figure shaped like some sort of mask appeared. "Yes, Your Radiance?" The being known as Fidchell asked in a creepy tone.

**"The foolish friends of Aura are heading to the area you are occupying with the second segment of Aura. I want you to destroy them… This time, I will not allow failure. Soon, my evil will spread into the real world…" **Morganna stated evilly.

"I understand, Your Radiance… I won't fall like Skeith, Innis and Magus… I will give the friends of Aura a prophecy of despair…" Fidchell understands as he disappears to the area he is occupying.

Morganna sensed something, she sees Kikyo and she's not too happy to see Morganna.

* * *

Now we turned to our heroes…

The army of parties consists of Kite, Zoey, BlackRose, Tsusaka, Mimiru, Bear, BT, Reina and her friends, Kan'u's group, the Girls Bravo, School Rumble, Fruits Basket and Green Green groups appeared in Sigma Turbulent Distrusting Ice Wall after Kite and Zoey hacked into it.

Mimiru fell on her knees and panted heavily. "Who would have thought… Gate Hacking can be so scary?!"

"Yeah… I hope we don't do it again…" Karen was shaken like a leaf. "Sorry, but I don't know when we'll stop Gate Hacking. But right now is the mission at hand." Kite stated seriously.

"Helba, can you hear us?" Zoey called out to the White Hacker. "Loud and clear. All right, the connection on this side is good to go. It'll be tiresome if Lios notices. I'll run the jammer before the battle. Hurry!" Helba's voice stated as she signs out for now.

"Who is this Lios guy? I don't like the sound of that tone…" Risty frowned as she folded her arms. "A pighead Admin who accuses Kite and Zoey of the virus…" BlackRose frowned. "Hmm… That sounds like a certain member of the Crimson Knights…" Bear chuckled.

"No time for jokes, Bear. We need to stop the fourth sign and get that piece of Aura back." Mimiru puffed her cheeks in anger as she ran ahead. "Let's go. Aura is counting on us." Kan'u stated as everyone headed into the dungeon.

As the parties entered the second room, a magic portal dispelled, revealing a Comad Goo. "Oh not this monster!" Mimiru growled as she charged at the Comad Goo and slashed it five times with her sword.

Ymir charged at the Comad Goo and swiped it three times with her axe before it knocked her into a wall.

Bear and Kite rushed in and slashed the Comad Goo five times. Kyo jumped in the air, attempting to swipe the Comad Goo, but it noticed and used its lance arm to knock him into the ground.

"Kyon-kun!" Tohru gasped in shock as she casted healing spells on him. "Relax, Tohru-san, the stupid cat is alright. Hah!" Yuki leaped into the air and slashed the Comad Goo in the face. Fukuyama growled "Pretty smart-ass…"

"Wow! Yusei, that was awesome!" Yuusuke smiled as he dashed between the Comad Goo and jabbed his spear at the Comad Goo followed by a swipe from Bacchi-Gu's axe.

"Now it's my turn!" Bacho smirked as she dashed and let out a battle cry as she somehow charged through the Comad Goo's abdomen and the beast fell down on its back, with Bacho striking a victory pose.

"Good, now let's hurry before the fourth sign gets away with Aura's segment!" Komei cheered, everyone nodded in agreement as they entered the next room.

In the sixth room, the parties were taking a breather to prepare for the battle in the next room. It was then Mimiru decided to ask a question.

"Hey Kite and Zoey?" Mimiru asked. "Yes?" Zoey asked her, wondering what it can be.

"How many of these signs you have beaten? And what do they looked like when you beaten them?" Mimiru stated as she sat down.

"Well…" Kite scratched his chin in thought before BlackRose decided to start for him.

"Skeith was the Monster with the Red Wand, a rocky monster with three red eyes on his face." Tsusaka, Bear and Mimiru gasped in shock.

"What's wrong?" Komei asked in concern. Kochu however, figured it out why they reacted in shock to Skeith's description. "…Don't tell me you three encountered Skeith before?" Kochu has a serious look on her face.

"So Skeith was that monster that appeared after we woke up Aura…" Tsusaka muttered. "What?! You fought Skeith and lived?!" BlackRose looked at Tsusaka and his friends and turning to face Kite and Zoey who have somewhat shocked faces.

"Yes…" Bear nodded slowly. "He appeared after Aura woke up… Technically, we didn't fight him, but I was hoping we have seen the last of him… Looks like we were wrong…."

"And now because of him, your friends Orca and Bridge have fallen into a coma…" Harima frowned deeper as he leaned on a wall, his arms folded. "Did you three win against him?" Eri asked, looking at Kite, Zoey and BlackRose in concern.

"Yeah…" BlackRose nodded as she continued. "Then, after Skeith, we fought Innis who looked like a broken rock mural which has the first piece of Aura and Magus who looks like a leaf. So that leaves five signs left."

"The next sign is Fidchell and he has a piece of Aura…" Zoey raised her hand and rolled it into a fist with determination. "Wait, how do you know that, Zoey?" Alleyne looked at Zoey in a stern look while Nowa looked at her teacher worriedly.

"Just a lucky guess…" Zoey shrugged as she laid her hands behind her back and looked up at the ceiling with a serious and somewhat sad look.

"Fidchell the Prophet, as mentioned in the Epitaph of Twilight…" BT stated as she heads into the next room. "Something tells me he won't be so easy to take down…" She added.

"Right… We need to be on our guard." Yuki agreed as the parties head into the next room.

In the ninth room, they came across maidens, but they were no match for our heroes as they descended into the next floor.

The parties fought their way to the next set of stairs that leads to the next floor. Tsusaka, his friends and their new friends began to wonder how Zoey knows that Fidchell has a piece of Aura… Does she and Aura share a special connection of some sort that allows Aura to tell Zoey about what's going on in The World?

Kite and BlackRose was also beginning to wonder about how Zoey knows one of the 8 signs has Aura's segment. Maybe… Maybe Aura knew Zoey was special and Aura was able to contact her without emails, but in the real world… Kite smiled, he doesn't care if Zoey has a special connection with Aura, the only thing that matters is helping Aura and stopping one of the 8 signs of the Wave.

Helba however knew about Zoey's connection with Aura somehow and only she knows the answers our heroes seek. But mysterious as always, Helba decided to keep it a secret till further notice. Tenma, Tohru, Yuusuke, Yukinari and their friends finally knew that Helba isn't a bad person, she's trying to help people, but the people view her as a dangerous criminal and Helba knows about the Epitaph of Twilight and how she knows Tsusaka… Now that our heroes have gained her help, they're one step closer to saving the comatose victims, The World, and soon both the real world and 3 anime worlds.

* * *

Soon, our heroes made it to the final floor where purple mist was sprouting from the doorway. The parties looked at it.

"Inside…" Kite began with a serious frown. '…is Fidchell…" BlackRose gritted her teeth as she gripped her blade. "Well let's kick his ass then!" Nanael urged as the parties charged forward into the room.

The parties appeared in one of the battlegrounds of the 8 Phases. "W-What is this?! This looks different from any floor!" Tenma panicked, looking around in shock and terror.

"Keep it together, everyone, that sign is bound to appear soon…." Futuba frowned as she readies her twin blades.

Suddenly, they heard "You have made it this far, now you will perish…" Then, Fidchell appeared.

"It's him! Fidchell!" Kite frowned as he readies his blades. "Correct… I am Fidchell the Prophet… One of her Radiance's loyal 8 Phases and you has caused Her Radiance enough trouble for her plan to succeed…" Fidchell stated evilly.

"Whaaah! What the hell?! It's a mask this time!" BlackRose gawked as she gripped her sword tight.

"Wait… The Wave has a leader?!" Mimiru's eyes widen in shock. Tsusaka however was silent as Fidchell spoke of someone called Her Radiance. He figured it out secretly. 'No… Does he mean Morganna?! So that's it… Subaru fell into a coma because of Morganna!' Tsusaka tighten his fists angrily as he pointed his staff at Fidchell.

"Fidchell! Give back Aura and Subaru!" He shouted angrily. "Your request is denied, Child Who Once Couldn't Log Out… I will destroy you and Her Radiance's plan will proceed without interruptions…" Fidchell stated darkly.

Helba's voice said "Launching program. Audio and visual communication from this end will cease. Please, stop Fidchell and get back the second segment of Aura. Good luck."

"Ready!" Everyone shouted as they charged towards Fidchell.

* * *

**Phase 4: Fidchell: The Prophet**

Fidchell started the battle by slamming his body on the ground, resulting in a shockwave that hit the parties for large damage.

"Damn! He's strong!" Risty grounded as she flung a fist at Fidchell, resulting in small damage. Fidchell casted a confusion spell on Ymir.

"Not again!" Ymir panicked as she swings her axe at her friends, causing them to dodge her swings. "Um… Um… Here!" Tenma panicked as she used Restorative to cure Ymir.

"Your efforts are in vain…" Fidchell stated evilly as he casted a sleeping spell on Miharu. "Good night…" Miharu closed her eyes and smiled as she snored. "Mi-Mi! Hang on!" Lisa used a spell that removes bad status effects. Miharu woke up with a start. "Zzzzz-wha? What did I mess?" Miharu asked cheerfully.

"Never mind that, Miharu! We got to defeat Fidchell!" Yukinari shouted as he unsheathed his new blade and slashed Fidchell five times before Fidchell used the shockwave attack to hit him for large damage.

Tsusaka casted healing spells on his friends to keep the fight going. Suddenly, Fidchell chanted something.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Bacho gawked as the skies darken. "All will freeze by the biting chill of my wrath…" Suddenly, a huge ice storm appeared as it hit the parties for large damage.

"Holy crap! Is this one of Fidchell's powers?!" Kyo gawked as he charged at Fidchell but he warped out of the way and Kyo missed him.

Fidchell then casted a slow spell which resulted in Bear slowing down. "Bear! Hang on!" Tsusaka used an antidote to cure his foster father.

Bear rushed in and slashed Fidchell five times with his sword.

BlackRose and Mimiru charged at Fidchell, however, before they got a chance to attack, Fidchell warped out of their way, causing them to crash into each other.

"Owwwwwww!" Both BlackRose and Mimiru yelled out in pain. "You dumbass! Watch where you're going!" BlackRose snapped at her. "Me?! It wasn't my fault! It was Fidchell!" Mimiru countered.

"Enough bickering you two! We have to win this battle!" Yuki scolded as he charged at Fidchell and slashed him five times with his sword. Kite rushed in and shouted "Twin Dragon!" He gave Fidchell a twenty hit attack of large damage.

Fidchell did the slam attack which hit the parties for large damage again. Then Fidchell opened his eyes and casted a hailstorm spell which Tsusaka luckily healed all his friends before it hit them.

"You're powerless to stop me…" Fidchell stated as he slams into the ground again, luckily the parties dodged it. Nowa leaped into the air followed by Chohi and they gave Fidchell a double whammy. Fidchell rams his body into them and knocked them into a ground.

"Fidchell! Your reign of darkness will end!" Melpha then struck a pose. Lala has an anger vein while her left eye twitched. "What the hell will that…" Lala didn't get to finish as holy energy arrows hit Fidchell for large damage.

"…do?" Lala has the white dotted eyed look. Kirie followed by Kosame charged at Fidchell and they hit him for large damage.

"…All will burn by my fires of hell…" Fidchell chanted as a meteor landed on the parties and hit them for large damage. Tsusaka and Karen casted healing spells to help their friends.

Tenma glared at Fidchell before she charged at him. However, Fidchell caught her in a holding spell as he lifted her up in the air. "Tenma-san!" Harima gasped. "…Data Drain." Fidchell made his bracelet appear and was ready to fire.

"W-What?! Fidchell has the powers of Data Drain?!" BT gasped in shock. "Skeith, Innis and Magus have them too…" Ryubi frowned as she sees Kite and Zoey's bracelets shined and cast the protective auras on the parties, Ryubi smiled as Fidchell fired and Tenma only felt status effects.

"I'm… ok?" Tenma blinked as she looked at her body. Eri used status healing items to cure her.

Fidchell was relentless on the slamming attacks, but our heroes recovered most of them.

Fidchell casted the same meteor spell on the parties, but they survived them. Zoey rushed in and slashed Fidchell five times with her sword and added in "Gae Slash!" She slashed Fidchell five times with her sword again.

Fidchell tried using Data Drain on Tohru, but Kite and Zoey's bracelets protected her and after recovering with help from Kyo and Yuki, she casted spells on Fidchell which gave little damage.

Mimiru shouted "Calamity!" and gave Fidchell some decent amount of damage. Fidchell responded by slamming his body near her, giving her some large damage.

Fukuyama, Tenjin and Bear teamed up to give Fidchell some damage. Fidchell casted fire spells on the parties, but they barely dodged some of them.

"Impossible…" Fidchell stated in disbelief. Zoey rushed in and dodged Fidchell's slamming attack and thrusts her blade down on Fidchell, causing him to Protect Break.

"Zoey! Now!" Kite shouted out to her. "Right!" Zoey nodded with a grin as she activated her bracelet and shouted "Data Drain!" She fired and Fidchell was reduced to a rocky version of himself. Zoey held a red data orb in her hand. It was Aura's second segment.

"Aura… I did it… I got the second piece of you back…" Zoey smiled as she placed Aura's 2nd segment into her key items inventory.

"Insolent child… you will die and rot in hell in the real world…" Fidchell growled as he slams his body towards Zoey, hitting her for little damage.

"Now! Everyone! Let's combine our attacks to destroy Fidchell!" Reika shouted. Everyone nodded in agreement as they combined their attacks to destroy Fidchell.

As Fidchell's body began to crumble into dust, he let out some final words.

**"Like a frenzied horse that is driven… An unseen wind of plaque shrieks across dimensions… Pandemonium, wailing, and stench of carnage fills the air… There's no place to… No hope of escape… Those who are mourned will never return… The hands of time cannot be turned back… And five worlds will meet their end…"**

"W-What was that? An omen?" Ryubi shivered. "I got a bad feeling about this…" Harima frowned. Zoey then sensed something in the real world. "Listen, I got a phone call, I need to log out." Zoey told her friends.

"We understand… But Zoey… What you will find in the real world won't be pretty… I'll contact you as soon as there is more info." Helba's voice stated. Zoey nodded as she logged out.

After taking off her Neuro Goggles, Zoey went to her phone and answered it. "Hello?" Zoey asked.

"Zoey, it's me, Renee. Check the news… You're not gonna like this…" Renee stated calmly. Zoey was confused as she turned on her TV and watched the news.

"Just recently, the subway computers stopped working for about an hour. The subway computers are still offline. Authorities are still determining the cause of this mysterious event which also found some computers around the world to act funny." A newscaster stated.

Zoey gasped in shock.

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

**"Fidchell's omen was starting to come true… The virus is no longer residing in The World… It is now spreading its evil into our world… and the virus is spreading throughout both the real world and The World… I got to stop this before it's too late and another Pluto's Kiss begins!"**

To be continued…

Next time: Virus

A/N: How was that? I tried to make one of the Phases battles longer, hopefully it will make everyone happy with that battle and longer chapter. Anyway, next time, Tsusaka and Mia will meet for the first which Tsusaka figured out it is his old friend Macha's new form and Lios will task our heroes with investing the virus, so stay tuned!


	74. Virus

Chapter 74: Virus

In The World, Elk was talking to Mia. Elk handed Mia some items. "I brought you some Aromatic Grass." Elk closed his eyes and smiled.

"Wow! Thanks! So much? This must've taken a long time." Mia beamed happily. Elk chuckled and said "It isn't that much. And by the way…" Elk looked at his friend and asked "…I haven't seen you in awhile. Were you busy?"

Mia used her hand to place it on top of her head and frowned by replying "I don't remember… My memory these days is fuzzy…"

Elk looked at Mia in worry and replied with "It sounds like you're just tired. I would rest if I were you." Just then, Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka logged in.

Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka walked up to Elk and Mia. "Oh hey guys…?! Who's that?!" Elk gasped in shock as he looked at Tsusaka who looked back. "He… He looks just like me!" Elk stammered.

"My name is Tsusaka. You must be the player who looks like me. Nice to meet you." Tsusaka closed his eyes and smiled, when Mia turned around, she gasped in shock after she looked at Tsusaka.

"T-Tsusaka?! You're back in The World?!" Mia stammered. Elk looked at Mia in confusion and stated "You know this guy, Mia?"

Tsusaka gasped in shock as he looked at Mia's cat like appearance. "M-Macha… It really is you…" He almost dropped his staff in shock. "I… I don't remember… I think I know this Tsusaka guy… But where? And who is Macha?" Mia held her head in pain.

"Mia, are you alright?" Zoey asked her in concern. Mia looked at Kite and Zoey oddly and replied dully "Who are you two? I don't think we met before…"

"What are you talking about, Mia…? You taught us how to Gate Hack…" Kite looked at Mia in concern. Mia held her head in pain and muttered "I'm… not myself. I'm done today…" Mia walked like a drunkard and warped out of sight.

"Yes. I think that's a good idea." Elk nodded slowly before turning to his friends. "Wow… Mia seems to be exhausted. She's gotten to the point where she's beginning to lose her memory." Elk stated sadly.

"I'm worried Elk…" Zoey looked at him in concern. Elk was silent, so was Tsusaka. Elk turned to his friends with a sad smile and said "You three don't tire yourselves either. I'm gonna log off too." Elk then logged out.

Kite turned to Tsusaka and asked "Tsusaka… Do you know Mia?" Tsusaka nodded and stated "I'm sure that was Macha… But why is she in a new form and doesn't remember me? I'm so confused… I better log out for today and ponder about this." Tsusaka stated as he logged out.

Kite and Zoey looked at each on concern, is Mia a old friend of Tsusaka?

* * *

The next day…

Zoey was checking her email, she only got one email and that one email made her frowned… It was Lios' email and it was subjected "Orders" and it read:

**"Investigate infected area. Details at Sigma Town Weapon Shop."**

"What does that pighead want now? Better email Kite, Mimiru and Tsusaka about this…" Zoey scowled in disgust as she emailed her friends and logged into The World.

Zoey, Kite, Tsusaka and Mimiru logged in. Kan'u, Reina, Nanael, Chou'un, Inuyasha and Koga were waiting for them. "Let's go see what that pighead wants now…" Inuyasha growled. "For once, I agree with you, muttface." Koga nodded in agreement.

As the friends head to the weapon shop, they see Balmung arguing with Lios.

"Making do all of that for what?! Look at what happened!" Balmung growled, he was not too happy to see Lios and what he told him before the gang arrived at the weapon shop.

"What are you saying now? You acted on your own free will…" Lios frowned. Lios noticed Kite and the gang and shouted "You're late!"

"Oh shut up. What are your orders this time?" Kan'u frowned deeper. "Our free will?! You just used us!" Kite frowned. "This is why I don't like kids…" Lios growled. Tsusaka however tighten his fists angrily.

"Is that it?" Tsusaka growled at Lios. "Subaru is in a coma because of this stupid game and you and those damn Admins didn't do anything to help the comatose victims! There's an enemy responsible for this!" He snapped.

"Who the hell are you? And don't use that tone with me… It's the hackers' fault." Lios frowned deeper. "No it's not! Someone else is at work and responsible for the comatose victims and the virus going around in The World!" Mimiru vouched for Tsusaka.

"Damn brats…" Lios growled before getting back on topic. "Our interests are the same so we joined forces… You lot followed orders out of your own free will. That is all." Kite frowned as he tightens his fists angrily.

"Any questions? If not, I'll get on with the subject. An area where a virus is perceived to be incubating has been found. I want you to investigate. Stand by at the Chaos Gate." Lios ordered. Zoey glared at Lios with a frown. "What was that?" Lios glared back.

"Yes sir!" Zoey did a mock salute as the parties head to the Chaos Gate. Lios snorted and said "Following orders of your own free will… That's what that disgraced leader of the Crimson Knights, Subaru did… Tch!" Tsusaka however heard that and tightens his fist in rage.

Balmung slams his fist down in anger and muttered "It is shameful that we are taking orders from someone like him!" "He's a stupid monkey who's drunk on power!" Nanael stick out her tongue in disgust.

"We need the information from Lios and Lios needs us… He's not that bad…" Kite smiled slightly. "But he has no right to insult Subaru…" Tsusaka frowned.

"As much as I like to agree with you, Tsusaka, but Kite is right... I think Lios is starting to trust us more… I think…" Zoey looked up at the sky.

"But how longer do we have to take orders from that pighead?" Reina frowned as she followed Zoey's glaze. "Looks like Kite and Zoey are right… Lios needs our help on beating the Wave…" Koga muttered as he kicked the ground in frustration.

"Kite and Zoey may have a point… We need his help to help Orca, Bridge, Subaru, Ooji, Yakumo, the comatose victims and restore this world to what it used to be and send the anime characters back to their worlds and Inuyasha and friends back to their timeline." Balmung nodded.

"I heard that!" The parties turned to see Lios glaring at them with his arms folded. "I will be accompanying you this time as well. I called BlackRose too, but she apparently hates my guts. The target of this investigation is Sigma Rising Implacable Sipping Bug. It's protected, so use this." Lios tossed Kite and Zoey some virus cores.

"All right, I'll wait for you at the field." Lios stated as he somehow warped to the Protected Area. "…Pighead…" Chou'un frowned as Kite and Zoey selected Sigma Rising Implacable Sipping Bug and their Gate Hacking Menus appeared, after inserting the correct amount of virus cores, they are warped to the area.

* * *

Upon arriving, Lios was waiting for them. Lios inspected the area. "The infection of the field is level three… this is bad." Lios muttered.

Lios warped to the dungeon. The parties looked at one another before they too entered the dungeon.

Inside the dungeon, they see the infection is far greater than the field. Lios inspected the dungeon and frowned deeper.

"The infection in the dungeon is far greater than the field…" He muttered. He turned to the parties and stated "I will wait in the lowest level of the dungeon, you should hurry up." He warped to the lowest level of the dungeon.

"The virus is spreading at a alarming rate… This is not good at all…" Kite frowned. "Guys, did you watched the news about almost all computers in the real world acting funny?" Zoey asked her online friends seriously.

"Yeah… Looks like Fidchell wasn't kidding. The virus is spreading its evil into both The World and our world…" Mimiru nodded with a frown.

"Let's not worry about that for now. Let's head to the lowest level of the dungeo where that pighead is waiting." Balmung told everyone, they nodded in agreement as they enter the next room.

The second room has a magic portal and it dispelled to reveal 2 Dark Stalkers.

"Careful, these monsters are resistant to physical attacks. Magic is the only thing that can harm them." Balmung stated.

"Good thing we got some equipment that allows us to cast spells." Zoey smiled as she, Kite and Tsusaka casted spells on the Dark Stalkers, giving them some damage. Mimiru casted healing spells to help her friends.

Eventually, they killed the Dark Stalkers. They proceeded to the next room.

After awhile, they made it to the second floor, some of them don't like working for Lios… First off, he accuses Kite and Zoey of the virus and tried to delete their characters, plus they think he doesn't care about the comatose victims and only cares about his work… But Kite and Zoey knew he needs their help in restoring The World back to its former glory and also help the comatose victims.

Eventually, they reached the last room of the dungeon and saw a Data Bug.

"I've confirmed a Data Bug. Put all efforts into deleting it!" Lios shouted.

The Data Bug casted some spells to damage the parties, but Tsusaka healed their wounds. Mimiru and Kan'u double teamed on the Data Bug while Cho'un casted spells on it to add to the damage.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha slams his Tetsusaiga down, the wind attack hit the Data Bug for large damage. Then Inuyasha's weapon turned red as he shouted "Backlash Wave!" He slams the powerful sword down, a even bigger wind attack hit the Data Bug for massive damage.

"Revolver!" Balmung charged at the Data Bug and slashed it five times. Nanael flew in to give the Data Bug some hurt, but it noticed her and used its arms to knock her into the ground.

"Why the hell do these things happen to me?!" Nanael muffled from the ground. Reina charged at the Data Bug and slashed it five times with her sword.

Kan'u leaped into the air and tried to jab the Data Bug, but it casted a meteor spell which knocked her into the ground, Kan'u slowly stands up and glared at the Data Bug.

Koga rushed in and punched and kicked the Data Bug five times.

"Gae Slash!" Zoey got behind the Data Bug and slashed it five times with her sword.

Tsusaka casted spells to add in the assault and it's getting weaker and weaker by the minute.

Zoey rushed in and slashed the Data Bug five times with her sword, causing the Data Bug to Protect Break. "Kite! Now!" Balmung shouted.

Kite nodded as he activated his bracelet. Lios frowned deeper. He still doesn't like the fact that Kite and Zoey are using illegal powers to rewrite monster data, but it's the only way to defeat the Data Bugs.

"Data Drain!" Kite shouted as he fired, destroying the Data Bug and he got a virus core. "Dieeeeeeeeeee!" Inuyasha screamed out in fury as he leaped into the air and cleave the monster in two, ending the battle.

The parties were talking with Lios. Lios frowned and muttered "I do not think it was this bad… It'll be eaten at this rate…"

"What do you mean?" Cho'un glared at the Admin. Lios turned to face Cho'un and stated "The virus incubating in the monsters are replicating at an exponential rate. There is a possibility that The World itself will become a virus. If that happens…" Lios stopped in mid sentence and stated "…there may be nothing we can do but to destroy the servers in order to prevent the spread of the damage."

The parties' eyes widen in shock. "That's ridiculous!" Balmung growled. "If you do that…" Kite growled in anger. "The clue to finding the cure for the comatose victims will be lost forever!" Zoey added, not happy with what she is hearing.

'Subaru… No!' Tsusaka closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in sadness.

"I understand… Yet I'm still saying it because I understand…" Lios turned around and stated "No, it's nothing… There's no use telling you about this. The investigation is complete. Good work…" Lios then logged out.

"…Damn it…" Kite tighten his fists in frustration. "A-A-Are you saying if they destroy these servers with us anime and historical people in them, we'll disappear forever?!" Nanael has the white dotted eye look on her face. "I hate to say this, but you're right about that…" Koga frowned as he folded his arms.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Rare Items?

* * *

A/N: Another chapter done! Anyway, next up is Piros again and after that, it's round 2 with Cubia! So stay tuned!


	75. Rare Items?

A/N: Since my computer died, I'm now using an iPad to write my stories. All I need is some accessories to make typing better. So here is another Piros chapter!

Chapter 75: Rare Items?

The gang arrived back at Sigma server where Piros is waiting for them.

Piros smiled and said "He of fair eyes, girl of destiny, Balmung of the Azure Sky."

The Queen's Blade Combatants (Well, the few who went with Kite and Zoey to that area with Lios...) look at Piros oddly.  
"Who the hell is this clown?" Nanael frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, that's Piros, he seems a big goofy, but he's really nice." Zoey closed her eyes and smiled.  
Tsusaka looked at Piros oddly. "Piros, you wanted to speak with us?"

"Yes. I have information that may benefit you all." Piros nodded excitedly. "If you come with me to Sigma Dying Windmil's Neigh, i will show you a spell to use in the lowest level of the dungeon! Ahahahaha!" Piros laughed.

"I don't know about this..." Balmung frowned as he folded his arms and pondered about this.

Nanael's eyes however sparkle at the word treasure. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go treasure hunting!" Nanael pumps her fist in the air.

"Pure hearted angel! I knew you would agree!" Piros praised. Nanael smirked, pure hearted angel, she likes that.

"Let's just get this over with..." Mimiru sighed. Everyone noodded in agreement as Tsusaka and Mimiru added Piros to their party and the group warped to Sigma Dying Windmill's Neigh.

* * *

As soon as the parties entered, they heard Piros' theme. "W-What the?!" Tsusaka gawked as he looked for the source.

"What the hell is this music?!" Reina's eyes turned white dotted upon hearing this.  
"Don't ask..." Zoey sighed in frustation as the parties entered the dungeon.

The parties were in the first room of the first floor. "So Piros? This spell which will work in the lowest level of the dungeon... Will it work?" Kan'u questioned.

"Of course it will. I learned it from a fellow player." Piros closed his eyes and looked proud.

"But what we want to know is... Where did you learned of this spell?" Balmung asked, he was suspcious of this area.

"Well, it all started one day when I was helping out some players." Piros began as they entered the second room.

* * *

In the fifth roomof the dungeon...

"I came across a player who was harassing some other player." Piros began as his friends began fighting for their lives.

"And?!" Koga growled as he dodged a swing from an enemy.

"It turns out he was a noble player who asked the other player his money back." Piros continued.

* * *

In the second floor's third room.

"I stepped in to intervene, but then, the noble player gave me an offer." Piros stated as the parties entered the next room.

* * *

In the 6th room...

Piros stands before the defeated monster and said "He told me if I use a spell in this area, rare items will appear." Piros stated with a grin.

"Piros, don't you remember the tricks Mia gave to you?" Kite asked worriedly.

"Mia?" Reina, her friends and Balmung asked confusedly. Piros huffed and stated "It's nothing like that damn cat's tricks of evil... It's 100 percent foolproof." Tsusaka looked down in sadness.

The parties pressed on, eventually, they made it to the end.

"Is this the place?" Nanael asked excitedlty. "Indeed, pure hearted angel. Now, to recite the words! ..." The parties looked at Piros oddly as he recieved some odd items.

"Yipeeee! Now to put them on!." Piros cheered as he puts them on. Balmung realized what those items are and shouted "Wait! Piros, I don't think that's-" But it was too late. Piros was affected with many bad status effects.

"...The fuck?" Nanael's eyes turned white dotted as she said that. "Ahahahaha..." Piros laughed nervously. "A-As of expected! Thank you for your help everyone! Till then, may the stars shine upon you at the end of your journey!" Piros logged out.

"Oh for god sakes!" Mimiru ran her hands through her hair in frustation. "Still, we leveled up some more." Kite closed his eyes and smiled.

"That's right. Let's get out of here." Zoey nodded with a smile.

Back in the real world...

Zoey was talking to Elliot on the phone. "Elliot, how's the situation looking?" She asked seriously.

"So far, the hosptials haven't been hit by the blackout. So Bridget is still ok, byt still in a coma." Elliot stated.

"That's good to hear. Anyway, we defeated the 4th sign, Fidchell, the Prophet. So that leaves..." Zoey started to say, then Elliot finished for her by saying "Only 4 signs left to defeat. Gorre, Macha, Tarvos and finally, Corbenik."

"Elliot, do you think defeatting those signs will bring back the comatose victims if we hurry?" Zoey asked him, hoping he provided a good answer.

"I'm positive it will bring back Bridget and the others, but there is still-" "Cubia, the hidden one, I know. But what role he plays, I don't know." Zoey finsihed as she looked at the moon with the phone still in her ear.

"Anyway, I'll inform you of any info I may find. I love you." Elliot stated. "I love you too, Elliot. Bye." Zoey smiled as she hangs up the phone.

Zoey looked at the moon in all its beauty. "Hang in there Bridget. We're getting close to the end of this nightmare..." Zoey whispered seriously.

To be continued...

Next chapter: Cubia: Round 2

A?N: Next up is the second round with Cubia! Can our heroes win against this massive beast again?! Also, this is typed from my iPad since my computer died with a keyboard accesory. Anyway, I'm back and better than ever. And sorry if this chapter seems too short, but enpugh from me. See you next time!


	76. Cubia: Round 2

A/N: Well, here is round 2 with Cubia!

Chapter 76: Cubia: Round 2

Zoey got home from work. However, when she got into her room, she sees Aura's transparent form waiting for her.

"Aura!" Zoey gasped as she and Aura stared into each other's eyes. Aura again made hand signs.

"...I...Want...To...Talk...To...You...And...Kite.. .At...Sigma...Town...It's...Very...Important...I.. .Already...Sent...Kite...An...Email...To...Come... Please...Hurry..." And with that, Aura vanished.

"Aura wants to speak to us. I better email the others about this and log into The World!" Zoey stated seriously as she sent everyone the emails and logged into The World.

Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka logged in at the same time. BlackRose, their entire friends minus the ones who asked them out for help, and three anime groups were waiting for them.

"Hey, Balmung sent me an email saying he wants to talk..." BlackRose frowned as she folded her arms.

"Relax, Balmung is on our side now." Yuusuke smiled.

"What?!" BlackRose blinked in fury. "He sided with Lios! He's so arrogant! A coward! And-"

"Um, BlackRose?" Bacho pointed her finger towards Balmung, BlackRose raise an eyebrow and turned to see Balmung behind her.

"Errrr... What I meant to say he's strong and brave and one of the Descendants of Fianna!" BlackRose laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"BlackRose..." Balmung greeted. "What?!" BlackRose snapped. "I'm sorry for everything." Balmung bowed his head in apology.

BlackRose was confused. "W-W-What?! You're throwing me off..." She stammered.

Suddenly, the screen flashes three times. "Wha-What just happened?" Kagome gasped in shock.

"Aura..." Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka said at the same time. "Hmm?" Bear raised an eyebrow.

"Aura is waiting for us at Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnace." Tsusaka stated.

"What are you talking about? Who's Aura?" Ymir asked, placing her hands next to her hips.

"The name of the Girl in White who gave both me and Kite our bracelets. She wants to speak to us about something." Zoey raised her hand and tighten in heroically.

"I wonder what Aura wants to talk to us about?" Shippo asked confusedly. "The only way to find out is to go to Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnace." Kochu suggested, Rin looked at her mother in worry.

"But what if that pig-head interferes?" Sousou frowned as she folded her arms, her servants nodded in agreement.

"Lios is busy at the moment, he won't stop us from acting on our own free will." Balmung reassured them. "Lios?" Harima raised an eyebrow.

"He's a pig-head who doesn't care about the comatose victims!" Sarah growled.

"That's not entirely true. He does care, but he won't admit it." Kite smiled softly. "But why I don't understand is why Lios' right hand man is on our side." Naru glared at Balmung.

"If Lios doesn't realize the true threat soon, then I'm done with that pig-head." Balmung frowned as he folded his arms.

"Alright, enough battering. Let's go to Lambda Server to talk to this Aura..." Forte sighed.

Kite and Zoey were silent. Kan'u looked at them in worry. 'If Aura is here in Lambda Server, there's a good chance that It might appear... Cubia... What is Cubia trying to gain to prevent us from talking to Aura?' She thought to herself in concern as she pondered about what the giant monster may do if he appears.

"Oni-chan, are you okay?" Chohi asked her sworn sister as she and Komei looked at her in worry.

"Oh, err... It's nothing. We better prepare to meet with Aura and hope she can answer our questions." Kan'u smiled at her friends, Chohi and Komei nodded.

As everyone left for Lambda Server, Aperion was eavesdroping. He put up a line with Lios.

"Lios, it's me. I heard the hackers and their friends going to Lambda server to meet with someone. It's possibly Helba. Should I continue spying on them?" Aperion asked him through communication.

"No..." Lios' voice said. "I will follow them myself. Standby for further orders." He ordered. "Yes sir." Aperion nodded as he logged out.

As the parties were formed and Kite and friends selected Lambda Merciless Grieving Furnece, they immeditantly, warped there.

As they appeared on the area, BlackRose brought up something. "Hey..."

"What is it?" Mint asked, looking at the Heavy Blade in concern. "Isn't it weird that some areas like this one isn't protected and Aura is in this area somewhere and somehow?" BlackRose asked as she looked at the corrupted skies.

"Yeah... I wonder what trouble this Aura went through to talk to us..." Echidna folded her arms. 'I wonder if Aura is a cute girl...' A smirk appeared on Echinda's lips.

"Echinda is starting to creep me out with that weird perverted smile..." Tenma shivered. Lala nodded and replied with "If she tries anything funny, she's going down..."

"Miss Echinda isn't that bad. She's really nice once you get to know her better." Nowa closed her eyes and smiled. Alleyne and Ymir sneezed.

"Let's go. I want to meet this Aura chick anyway." Gin grinned, showing his fangs. "Damn perverted wolf..." Kokoa muttered under her breath.

So, the parties entered the dungeon.

In the first floor, there were few magic portals.

"That's odd... There are almost no magic portals in this dungeon..." Balmung surveyed the area.

"Could Aura has done this...?" Komei gasped as she walked a bit towards the next room.

"Mysterious girl in white with strange powers..." Vanilia stated emotionlessly as the parties entered the next room.

Eventually, they made it to the stairs leading to the next floor. They took a moment to rest.

Tsusaka sat on the ground, looking a bit depressed. It was then Zoey walked up next to him and sat beside him.

"Hey, Tsusaka... What's with the sad look?" Zoey asked, a hint of motherly concern in them.

"It's just... I'm excited to meet Aura again... But do you think she'll remember me?" Tsusaka sighed sadly. "Of course." Zoey smiled.

"Hmm?" Tsusaka looked up to Zoey. "The segment I got from Fidchell, the piece of Aura... It's telling me that Aura is glad to see you again, Tsusaka." Zoey looked at her hand where her bracelet is.

"So Aura does remember me..." A smile came up on Tsusaka's face. "I can see why she choose you and Kite to protect her and put her back together."

"Yeah." Zoey nodded as she lowered her hand and looked at the ceiling. "Aura is coutning on you, me and Kite to help her and save the comatose victims and The World and send our anime friends and Kag's friends back to their worlds. And no matter what or who may put us down, we can't let them stop us from helping everyone..." Zoey smiled heroically as she got up.

"We need to get going. Aura is waiting." Zoey walked towards her friends. "Right." Tsusaka nodded as he too got up and followed suit.

The parties descended down towards the second floor.

Our heroes fought their way to the stairs leading to the third floor.

The heroes' new friends can't help but wonder who Aura is. To the Queen's Blade Combatants, she seems like an important person. To the Galaxy Angels and their commanding officers, they don't know if Aura can be trusted or not.

Tsusaka and his friends were glad to meet Aura again, but were shocked to find out she is in pieces. Now they have joined Kite and Zoey's cause to help her out and perhaps save their friends.

Our heroes know that the Cursed Wave will throw everything they got to prevent them from meeting with Aura. But they have to do this, for Aura, the comatose victims and The World.

Eventually, they made it to the final floor and reached a dead end.

"What a waste! There's nothing there!" Ranpha growled as she kicked a stone. Suddenly, Tenma noticed Aura appearing. "Look!" She pointed to Aura.

"Aura!" Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka shouted at the same time. Unknown to them, Lios appeared out of sight and above them.

He sees Aura and muttered "Damaged Data?" He has never seen something like Aura before and wonder if she is dangerous.

"So that's her... Aura, the Girl in White..." Reina muttered in awe. "I don't know how to put this... But she looks imcomplete or something..." Ymir looked at Aura sadly.

"Mom... She's beautiful..." Rana gasped in awe. "I know, sweetie." Cattelya nodded as she looked at Aura in all her beauty.

"Aura! It's me, Tsusaka! Don't you remember?! Me and my friends woke you up!" Tsusaka shouted in happiness. Suddenly, the segment from Zoey's invertory appeared and went to Aura. Aura used it to make it a part of her again.

"I think Aura wants to speak to us about something..." BT stated. Before they got a chance to talk, a rumbling occured. "W-What's going on?!" Commander Volcott panicked.

"Unknown data that is huge approaching!" Normad panicked as roots stick out of the ground. Aura disappeared. "Wait! Aura!" Tsusaka tried to reach out to her, but failed.

Lios looked up as the scenery changed and saw something that shocked him that it almost gave him a heart attack. "Wha-What is that?! Something like that exists?!" He gasped.

Ranpha looked up and her eyes shrank in fear... "Oh my God..." She stammered as everyone looked up.

"It's... It's that thing again!" BlackRose screamed in fear. "It's big! Too big! Can we defeat it?!" Balmung gritted his teeth. It was Cubia!

"So that's Cubia..." Alleyne muttered. Kite and Zoey realized something different about Cubia.

"It's..." Kite started to say, and then Zoey finished by saying "Growing."

Cubia roared as he got ready for battle!

**Bringer of Darkness: Cubia: Round 2: Theme: Shout in the Moonlight**

"What the hell is that thing?!" Nanael screamed out in pure shock. Cubia roared as his core appeared on the huge ring like battlefield.

"Tsusaka, BT, cast spells on Cubia's core!" Zoey shouted. "Right!" Tsusaka and BT were confused, but they did as they were told and used spells to hit Cubia's core, giving the Bringer of Darkness some damage.

Cubia moaned as he made his spawn appear and attack our heroes.

"W-What are those things?!" Karen gasped in shock as the parties fight off Cubia's spawn. "They're Cubia's spawn! Cubia has the power to make enemies that serve him to attack us!" Reika shouted as she slashed a Cubia spawn capable of healing.

"It's time I let myself loose!" Moka has a face of bravery as she released her rosary, transforming into her Reverse form.

"Cubia..." Reverse Moka smirked evilly. "I will show you and your spawn your place!" Moka charged at the spawn and slashed and killed them so easily. Karen, Tohru and other Wavemasters in the parties helped out with casting spells to hurt Cubia, eventually, they drained the first half of Cubia's health.

Cubia roared in pain as he summoned lightning bolts and hit the parties for big damage.

"Damn it! It's fucking strong!" Kyo growled as the huge battle platoform moved to a different area of Cubia's body. Cubia's core appeared again.

'What the hell?!' BlackRose's eyes widen in shock as she sees something inside the core, when she first saw Cubia's core for the first time, she sees a silhoute of Kite in it,n sleeping. But now, she sees a completely naked Zoey sleeping inside the core.

'Kite and Zoey are right with us, but why does this thing have them inside its core?!' BlackRose blinked.

Something is not right, she thought. Could there be a connection between Cubia and BlackRose's two friends?

"Now! Attack the core with brute strength!" Kite shouted. "Roger!" Bear and Mimiru were first as they combined their attacks to inflict damage on Cubia's core.

Reina used Dragon Tail to add in the damage. Yukinari, Ranma, Ryouga, Mousse, Shampoo, Tomoka, Yuki, Tsukune, Balmung and other sword users take turns damaging Cubia's core.

Cubia summoned more spawn and Cattleya, Irma and Melpha were doing their best to keep from harming their friends and recovering Cubia's strength.

Nowa spins her staff around and extended it and bashed Cubia's core five times with her trusty weapon, Alleyne followed suit by using her staff also to inflict damage on Cubia.

"Augh! More are coming!" Bacchi-Gu panicked as he and his friends attacked some of Cubia's spawn.

"How much longer now?!" Futuba gritted her teeth as she slashed a Cubia spawn in half with her twin blades.

Kite charged at the Cubia Core and slashed it five times with Twin Dragon.

Cubia roared again in pain. "Oh no..." Ryubi stammered. "What?! What's it trying to do now?!" Ranpha panicked as Cubia used its roots to damage the parties.

"What a monster! Where did he came from?!" Bear grunted as their Wavemaster allies healed their friends as the battle ring is now in front of Cubia.

"Oh my god I have never seen a face so ugly like that..." Lala mutered. Cubia grunted, implying he heard that.

"I think you have gone and pissed him off!" Bacho grolwed at Lala as Cubia summoned fireballs from its neck to hit the parties with large damage which they recovered.

Cubia's core appeared again and our heroes used different methods to defeat Cubia, magic and brute force. Cubia was unlike any other Kite and Zoey's friends old and new have ever seen. Just who is Cubia? And why did he stopped them from speaking with Aura? Only Aura knows the answer to this mystery.

Lios watched secretly from the sidelines. He has never seen a monster like Cubia before in The World. Perhaps the hackers are not responible for this monstrosity?

The battle was almost over, Kite, Zoey, BlackRose and Balmung attacked the core all together and delepted all of Cubia's health.

Cubia groaned in agony as he slightly fell down. "Did we win?!" Enshou panted in fear.

"No... Funikura said that this thing is still alive..." Nyx frowned, but deep down, she was scared of fighting Cubia again.

Cubia let out a loud roar which almost knocked the parties to the ground as it made another rainbow portal and flew into it, fleeing for another day.

"It got away! Damn it!" Elina growled as she slams her fist down in anger.

Kite and Zoey were silent. "Cubia doesn't want us to meet with Aura..." Zoey stated seriously.

Lios was silent remaining unseen by the parties as he quickly logged out of sight.

"Yeah, but... There's something else when we were fighting Cubia..." BlackRose stated worriedly.

"And that is?" Cho'un glared, sensing something was wrong that is bothering BlackRose.

"...I-It's nothing." BlackRose looked down. "With that thing out there somewhere in The World, talking to Aura may prove differcult." Bear folded his arms with a frown.

"Kite, Zoey, you fought that thing before?" Mimiru looked at Kite and Zoey in concern.

"Yeah... But I wonder what the true rule of the game Harald design is..." Kite pondered for a moment.

"But there's one more piece of Aura left. If we get that, Aura will be back to normal." Zoey smiled.

"Anyway, Cubia may or may not be on the Cursed Wave's side..." Ranma frowned. "I agree... We have both the Wave and Cubia to deal with..." Kurumu frowned, her breasts jiggled causing the Baka Trio to drool.

"But the question is... Where do we go from here?" Balmung asked. The parties were silent as they pondered that question.

To be continued...

Next chapter: Brothers

A/N: Whew! Typing from my iPad on this site is hard work! Anyway, next up is the showdown between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru! Stay tuned and sorry if this chapter has spelling errors!


	77. Brothers

A/N: Whew! I'm getting the hang of writing stories on my iPad since my computer died. So until I get a new computer, I will be writing stories on my iPad from now on. Anyway, my Dot Hack Mew Mew story has reached 100 plus reviews. So, to celebrate, another Dot Hack Mew Mew concert special with Melona, Menace and Airi with the song, Buddy Body! And we start this chapter with Inuyasha VS Sesshomaru! So here we go!

We see the stage in shadows with the crowd going wild, then the lights shined on Melona, Airi and Menace with their backs turned, and mikes in their hands. They then turned around and singed

Melona: kyuuto sugiru boku wa meroona

usamimi no sheipushifutaa

chinchaku reisei gouriteki

yosomi shiteru hima wa nai yo

Airi: boku ni asonde hoshii nara

sokosoko ja dame nanda kara

wakuwaku dekinai omocha hodo

taikutsu na mono nante nai

Menace: nante sonna kotoba muen desu no

itsumo bikkuri kao o tanoshinderu

All: erotikku na bodii

hippu atakku ni meromero

misutikku ni ashidikku

itsudemo hengen jizai ni

donna yatsu demo torotoro ni

atokata mo naku tokasu yo

jinchi o koeta sonzai

pinku no usamimi saikyou

Melona: omatase watakushi wa menasu

amara oukoku no oujo

enryo sezu omou zonbun ni

ikou ni hirefushite kudasai

Menace: donna ni toki ga nagarete mo

karenai hana ga aru no desu

sore de wa omise itashimashou

watakushi koso ga sono akashi desu

Airi: ribingu seputaa setora ga otomo desu

jidaigakatta konbi futari ga yuku

All: majesutikku na bodii

hissatsu ouke no zutsuki

pasetikku na torafikku

kyuukyoku shainingu piramiddo

soshite jiwajiwa ikeru hazu

noroi no houtai shibari

rekishi o kanji nagara

samenai yume ga miraremasu

oyobi deshou ka airi desu

kenage na reisu kawaii desho

goshujinsama o odemukae

kyou mo okaerinasaimase

Half time!

Melona: (Grins) Are you ready?! (The crowd roars)

Menace: We're gonna be better than those other singers!

Airi: Please enjoy our singing for a bit longer.

Melona: oosetsukatta oshigoto ni

fuhei fuman wa mou shimasen

mawari ga nanto uwasa shite mo

kihon wa zettai fukujuu

Airi and Menace: bijo no seiki suwanakya dame ni naru

sonna taishitsu dake ga zannen munen

All: okarutikku na bodii

itsumo osoba ni orimasu

rippusutikku romantikku

kuchibiru wa amaku doramatikku

soshite otsure itashimasu wa

subarashii meido no tabi

karada ga sukeru mae ni

The three minions of the Swamp Witch danced a little bit before they struck a pose and the lights stopped shining on them, the crowd goes wild!

Chapter 77: Brothers

We see players hunting monsters in a icy field. Little did they they know they were being watched.

The ones that we are focusing on were watching the event from far away. Among those there were a small toad demon holding a large stick with a lady and a demon head situated on the top. Next was a small human girl in a yellow and orange yukata. Snoozing next to her was a two-headed dragon-like creature. Finally, there was a human figure donned in red and white robes with black chest armor and a white furry boa along his shoulder. He had long silver hair and purple slash marks on his cheeks with a purple moon marking on his forehead. The fact that he was missing a left arm was what made him stick out even farther.

This man was in fact the demon known as Sesshomaru, Lord of the West since the passing of his father, Inu no Taisho. He was also the half-brother of Inuyasha, although he didn't like to admit it. The two tiny ones were his servant Jakken and his ward Rin. The last creature was his steed called Ah-Un.

"Hmph! What foolish humans!" Jakken frowned. "Why aren't they running away from these demons?"

"It looks fun." Rin commented as she looked on. "Can I join them, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"If what that human called a player is correct, the demons are called monsters in this world. And We appear to be inside what they called an MMORPG called The World." Sesshomaru stated coldly.

"What a stupid name..." Jakken frowned deeper. "Playing this game like for entertainment. And what is with those skies?!"

Suddenly, Sesshomaru sensed something, he sees the entire heroes appearing in this area for gaining levels, minus the ones who ask them for favors.

His eyes narrowed as he sees Inuyasha with them.

"It would appear that Inuyasha and his human allies built an army," Jakken muttered. "Now that I think of it, the new humans dress like the woman Inuyasha insists to be with."

"Hnn..." Sesshomaru muttered as he continued looking on. He could sense different kinds of new auras from the humans. Auras he have never felt before. Some can rival his power, but those two humans, the boy in red and girl in purple... They have strange auras he can't identify. But those two children's powers rivaled his own at a little bit higher. Now he was intrigued.

"Let us pay them a visit. Besides, its been a while since I last saw my 'dear' little brother."

With our heroes...

Kite, Zoey and Tsusaka with her large group of friends were hunting monsters to prepare themselves for what's to come. it was then, BlackRose has an idea.

"I got an idea. Why don't we get Lios and Helba to work together?" BlackRose suggested.

"There's one small flaw in your plan, BlackRose..." Akane said in a deadpan tone,

"And what is it?" Juniku glared at Akane who glared back.

"Helba is a world famous hacker and Lios hates her guts." Mousse stated, fearing this plan may fail.

"But we need Lios' help in defeating the Wave and saving the comatose victims. I agree with BlackRose's plan." Kite winked at BlackRose, BlackRose blushed and looked away shyly.

"I agree with BlackRose's plan also. It will be like the Epitaph of Twilight." Balmung nodded.

"Great. Then BlackRose, we're counting on you to put this plan into action." Komei smiled.

"Idea!" Tenma beamed, surprising her friends and allies.

"Well?" Mizore tapped her foot impatiently.

"Since we're all here playing and exploring The World to help it and the players who fell into a coma and two of our friends can hack into important areas and rewrite monster data... We should call ourselves the Dot Hackers!" Tenma pumped her fist in the air, trumpets played out of nowhere.

"That..." Lala's left eye twitched in anger. "...is the most stupidest thing I have ever heard!"

"Dot Hackers... I like it." Kite smiled heroically. "Indeed. A fine name for the future heroes of The World." Balmung smiled as well.

"Yeah, Dot Hackers fit just fine. What do you think, Zoey?" BlackRose nodded as she turned to face Zoey with a smile.

"Yeah... The Dot Hackers should have a goal and that goal is to defeat the Wave and save the comatose victims and The World and the real world." Zoey smiled with a brave look.

Everyone else except for Lala agreed on the name Dot Hackers. "Oh you got to be fricking kidding me!" Lala groaned as she buried her face in her hands and moaned.

Suddenly, they sensed someone approaching. Inuyasha and Koga knew who it is.

What they found was a tall man with silver hair walking towards them. Standing a bit behind him was a dragon-like creature, a toad thing with a stick, and a little girl. From the way Inuyasha and his group reacted, they all knew that the man was not friendly. But did he come from the Feudal Era too?

"His aura looks menacing..." Elina frowned as she folded her arms. "And he looks like dog boy to boot..." Inuyasha made a mental note to bop Elina in the head later.

"He should," Miroku frowned. "That is Sesshomaru. He's Inuyasha's half-brother and he's a full demon. He is also a taiyoukai, the Lord of the West. A title he inherited from his father."

"Inuyasha never said anything about having a brother," Mizore gasped.

"He and Sesshomaru don't get along very well," Kagome answered.

"So, Inuyasha is a Count?!" Chohi gasped in shock.

"He doesn't look like a aristocrat to me..." Lisa looked at Inuyasha oddly. "Ditto." Eri nodded in agreement.

"It's been a long time, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru greeted his brother.

"Not long enough."

"I see you've kept the same company. And some new friends as well," Sesshomaru observed, he could almost see the auras coming from them.

"Did a rainbow like portal got you too?" Zoey asked, she can feel the shivers down her spin from Sesshomaru's eyes...

"I did, I thought it was something that the lowly demons created so I tried to exterminate. It is rare that I ever make a mistake. I demand to know what is going on."

"We owe you nothing!" Inuyasha growled. "Now shove off!"

"Not until I get what I want to know." In a quick blur, he was suddenly a foot away from the Dot Hackers with his hand on the hilt of the Tokijin. "Now, tell me."

"I said…NO WAY!" Inuyasha yelled as he drew his Tetsusaiga in a wide slash. Sesshomaru drew his own sword and the two demonic weapons clashed against each other.

**Sesshomaru: Lord of the West**

****And the battle was on!

"You haven't changed Inuyasha; always striking first and explaining later," Sesshomaru commented as they were kept in a deadlock, "Very well." The dog demon brothers forced each other to jump back. Sesshomaru took the first attack as his claws glowed a sick green. He lunged and began slashing at Inuyasha as the half-demon quickly ducked and dodged from the attacks. "Shouldn't we help?" Moka asked. "No. We would just get in the way," Reika told her. "Can you dodge this?" Sesshomaru taunted as he brought his energy whip to bear and began sending it flying. Inuyasha quickly used his Tetsusaiga to deflect all attacks sent his way. Dismissing his sword for the moment, he brought out his claws and made the glow white. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" he shouted as he lunged at Sesshomaru and began his own offensive. After a moment off avoiding the attacks, the demon lord grabbed Inuyasha by the sleeve and through him across the battleground. "You've have grown stronger," Sesshomaru said as he stalked his recovering brother, "I am impressed. Not many can claim that accomplishment." Inuyasha just smirked as he redrew his sword and made it slash out a blade of rainbow energy. Sesshomaru side stepped as raised his sword high before bringing it back down, unleashing a wave of energy. Inuyasha jumped into the air to avoid the attack, but Sesshomaru was ready for him. "Dragon Strike!" Sesshomaru called as he released a wave of wind and thunder from his sword and sent it at Inuyasha. "Wind Scar!" Inuyasha roared as he sent his signature attack to counter it. There was a flash of light and wind as the attacks collided, making everyone who was watching shield their eyes. It was followed by a clash of swords. When everyone continued to look, the saw both brothers jumping down from the cloud of smoke and continued to clash swords. They jumped again and continued to fight in mid air, one parry after another. One last parry made another bright flash, making both of them drop to the ground.

"I will not ask again, what is going on?" Sesshomaru said coldly.

"I ain't tellin'!" Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshomaru frowned as he prepared for round 2.

Rin, the Rin with Sesshomaru was curious on the strangely dressed people and sneak itno where Kochu and her daugther is. Curious, she walked up to Kochu and tugged her dress.

Kochu noticed Rin and smiled and said "Hello there. My name is Kochu Kansho, but my real name is Shino and this is my daughter Rin."

Rin, the one who is not Kochu's daughter giggled playfully and said "My name is also Rin. How about I call your Rin Rin 1 and me Rin 2. Also, Lord Sesshomaru and the doggy man are playing."

'She must meant Inuyasha...' Kochu thought.

"Wanna be friends?" Rin 2 smiled.

Back to the battle at hand, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are still fighting. BlackRose has enough of this.

"Augh! This is pissing me off! Stop fighting this fricking instant!" She demanded.

"I wonder if there is a way to stop this..." Mimiru frowned.

Luckily, there was as Kochu, Rin 1 and Rin 2 came out. "Lord Sesshomaru! Come and meet Rin 2's new friends!"

Sesshomaru instantly turned his eyes to his young ward. Giving off a sigh, he lowered his guard and sheathed his sword. He walked past his brother and and towards the group.

"Rin, what did I tell you about leaving?"

"I made new friends. Shino and Rin 2's friends named Kite, Tsusaka and Zoey are on a mission to save Bridge, Orca and Lady Subaru by beating a mean enemy named the Wave and help a girl in white named Aura. Kite and Zoey have powers to rewrite demon data and hack gates."

Sesshomaru blinked at this information and asked the Dot Hackers "What is this Wave you mentioned? Who are you all?" Sesshomaru demanded.

Kokoa was the next one to step forward. She didn't flinch under his icy glare. It was his aura that intimated her though, even if her face didn't show it. It remind her of her father.

"The Cursed Wave is a evil force mentioned in a epic poem called the Epitaph of Twilight. It is responsible for our friends from the Feudal Era and three anime worlds appearing in The World. It is also responible for The World's problems and comatose victims. The only to save them is by beating the 8 signs of the Wave and helping Aura, a girl who is the key to this battle. Also, Naraku was helping the Wave, but we killed him."

"THen the situation is dire..." Sesshomaru frowned. At least this player told him something.

"Yes, so maybe you could help us?"

In a flash of movement, Inuyasha appeared before Kokoa and yelled, "WHAT?!"

"Beg your pardon?" Sesshomaru blinked.

"NO WAY AM I WORKING WITH HIM!" Inuyasha barked as he pointed at his estranged brother hotly.

"The feeling is mutal." Sesshomaru added.

"I agree with Kokoa." Moka nodded. 'The Cursed Wave is an enemy that shouldn't be underestimated. We need all the help we can get to defeat it."

"This Cursed Wave sounds like a worthy foe... But is it worth my time?" Sesshomaru pondered.

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin 2 looked at Sesshomaru with cute eyes.

"Very well, I will assist you," the Lord of the West nodded.

"EH?!" the Feudal Era group gasped.

"B-but Mi'lord!" Jakken pleaded, "You really aren't going to align yourself with these humans, are you?"

"This is a threat to us all," said Sesshomaru. "And it will give me a chance to exercise my blade. And to teach Inuyasha some manners."

"Why you-!"

"SIT BOY!"

And the cursed beads reacted to Kagome's command, causing the younger dog demon to crash into the dirt. "Honestly, this isn't the time to be fighting each other." Inuyasha just made some low grumbling noises. Everyone assumed he was cursing again.

"Well then..." Balmung smiled as he folded his arms. "Welcome to the Dot Hackers."

To be continued...

Next chapter: Lios' Test

A/N: How do you like that?! Worthy chapter if I do say so myself. Anyway, see you next time!


	78. Lios' Test

A/N: Good news, I will be getting a new computer on my birthday on December 2013, so it will be awhile till I get both a new computer and the GU trilogy. So without further ado, here is Chapter 78!

Chapter 78: Lios' Test

Zoey woke up the next day and checked her Inbox; she had received an e-mail from BlackRose about her plan. The subject was "**Perfect**," which read:

**"Contact me when you three are ready. Just leave everything to me. I'll wait for you at Lambda Town's Chaos Gate. Oh, and look at the Board before you come. Later!"**

'BlackRose actually did it... At first, I thought something'd go wrong and Lios would interfere, but knowing Helba, she can get everything straightened up. This plan might work!' Zoey smiled as she read the next email.

This time, 'twas from Rachel. Subject: "**Jobs**."

**"Hey, how ya doin'? Trying to mediate a trade takes too much effort, and the times call for a courier service. So, I started an item courier business and I gotta deliver to Sigma Expansive Corrupted Ridgeline, but the monster there is strong, so I want you two to help me. You'll help me, right? Yeah, I knew you would! Well, I'm logged in, so call me."**

'Uh oh... Last time Rachel did this, there were ticked off players. I better see if this goes through or not.' Zoey sweat dropped as she read the next email.

"**Treasure**" was the subject, sent from Moonstone.

**"Moon Knife located. Sigma Dying Grieving Battlefield."**

'Hmm... Sounds like Moonstone found some treasure. I'll go with him later.' Zoey smiled as she replied: "Sure, I'll go with you later. Right now, we have something important to do regarding the server problems."

Next up was from Tsukasa, with the subject "**I think it may work.**"

**"BlackRose's plan may work. I'm getting Bear, Mimiru and BT to come to the meeting between that pig head and Helba. Check the Hackers thread."**

Zoey responded with "Right. Meet you there with the others." The reply was thusly sent. She then turned to The World icon. "Alright, now to-"

"Zoey, you have a visitor...?! Wha?! Hey!" Zoey's mom gasped in surprised, and the sound of footsteps running up the stairs reached her room. Bursting in through the door was Tomoka.

"H-Hey! Who gave you permission to burst into my room?!" Zoey snapped, an anger vein on her forehead.

Tomoka ignored Zoey and looked around her dwellings. "Not bad... So this is Zoey's room. Tomoka is impressed."

'Tomoka...?' Zoey thought to herself as she stared at the child in shock. "No way... Are you Tomoka the Great?!" Zoey gasped again.

"How do you know my name?! Wait... Are you Zoey, by any chance?!"

"Yeah... But to be honest, your avatar doesn't look like you..." Zoey stared at Tomoka in blatant disbelief.

Tomoka laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head in quite the nervous manner. "Uh, yeah. I had to make an adult avatar so I could act tough."

"…Anyways, Tomoka, what brings you here?" Zoey asked, placing a chair next to the kid so she could sit down.

"I was visited by some guy named Wesley and that famous idol Renee Roberts, and they asked me to come to your place!" Tomoka smiled as she sat on the chair and looked around Zoey's room yet again.

"Oh, you mean my co-workers… Wesley's my second boss and Renee is one of my dearest friends." Zoey smiled as she got another chair and plopped down next to the child.

"Ha ha ha! You sure have a great life… But back in Seiren, my life was even greater!" She closed her eyes and grinned.

"Seiren... Come to think of it, Mi-Mi did mention that name… So what kind of place is Seiren?" she asked Tomoka. Just then, Zoey's mom came in with tea and set it down on the table.

"Seiren is full of women and they're boy crazy! I am a member of a police force of some sorts that handles interdimensional travel. I was sent here to Earth to help get a husband for Mi-Mi, aka Miharu's big sister. Sadly, no luck...?" The child's left eye caught something inside Zoey's drawer.

Quick as lightning, she snatched the item from the drawer and in her hand was Zoey's Power Pendant. The girl neither flinched nor frowned. She knew she had to spill her secret sooner or later, and tell someone to keep it.

"Tomoka never seen anything like this before... What is it?" Tomoka asked Zoey as she handed it to her.

The girl was silent for a moment until she asked "…Can you keep a secret?"

"Tomoka can keep secrets! You can count on me!" Tomoka winked as she shot her online friend a thumbs-up.

"Ok... What I'm about to do is going to shock you." Zoey held her Power Pendant up high and shouted just soft enough that her parents didn't hear "Power Pendant! Metamorphosis!"

Before Tomoka's eyes now stood Zoey with sugar pink hair, cat ears and tail, and wearing a pink tutu.

"W-W-W-W-hoaaaaaaaa... This is just like my favorite magical girl anime! So magical girls are real?!" Tomoka beamed in excitement.

Zoey nodded with a smile as she reverted back to human form. "Yep, and I'm not the only one who has this power! Hm… let me tell you how I got mine…"

Zoey told Tomoka everything: about the Mew Mews' enemies, the Cyniclons, and how they're using alien monsters called Predicites to take control of humans and animals to conquer Earth; how the DNA of endangered animals called Red Data Animals are infused with the five girls' DNA to help combat the Cyniclons; her friends and how she met them and the person she wants to save her friend Bridget; and how Zoey now has fallen in love with Elliot.

"I've heard of these Cyniclons! They once tried to take over Seiren, but we kicked them out fast." Tomoka stated as she folded her arms in a thinking position.

"Yeah... So now you know I want to help wake Bridget from her coma… Say, how did you get here to where I lived?" Zoey asked with a charming smile.

"Oh, that's easy! Tomoka took the subway. I'll be spending the night here if you don't mind. Tomoka is sleepy, but she got her laptop to help fight the Wave!" Tomoka laughed.

"Alright. BlackRose said she's got everything set up for the meeting between Lios and Helba." The girl stated as she went to her computer.

"Are you sure about this? Tomoka has doubts about this plan… Ah well, wouldn't hurt to try." Tomoka stated as she got out her laptop and put on her Neuro Goggles. Zoey donned her goggles as well and they both checked the Board to see BlackRose's message, with the subject "**Queen of the Dark**."

It read:

**"Waiting for you at Paradise."**

The two of them logged into The World. There, they saw Kite, Tsukasa, and all their friends waiting for them.

"So, are you sure this plan will work?" Bear asked, folding his arms.

BlackRose nodded. "Definitely. It has to work, it's just got to!"

"Alright, we have confidence in you, BlackRose." Mimiru nodded as well as the gang warped to Lambda Server. After arriving in Lambda Pulsating Truth's Core, they walked a bit until they saw Lios waiting for them… He wasn't too happy to see them.

"Are you lot planning to contact Helba?" Lios frowned as he floated down. "Well, I don't know what you're all up to, but I'm afraid I deleted that post; it's no more."

"You bastard!" Yuusuke growled.

"The truth is... she won't be coming here. I'm sorry." Lios smirked tauntingly.

Zoey glared at the System Admin."Oh really?"

"The hackers... They're having a good laugh. They find the current affairs to be quite amusing… What do you intend to do with them? Tell me, I'm curious." Lios demanded.

"Lios... The hackers are not responible for this. Something is causing all of the problems that even the makers of The World can't stop alone." Kokoa frowned.

"Why do you say things like that? Just because it's the company's policy?" Kite frowned as he walked a bit closer to Lios.

"What?" Lios growled.

"You should know by now that the problems are unrelated to Helba." Zoey pointed an accusing finger at Lios.

"What do you know? Do you two think you're heroes because of those bracelets? Don't make me laugh!... So wear those things if you want. I will restore the system without the help of those abominable items!" Lios sneered.

"Pig head! That's not what they're saying!" Ymir growled, vouching for Zoey and Kite.

Zoey placed her hands on her hips."We're trying to tell you that if we want the same results, we should work together."

"That's right, fool!" Lala nodded.

"I do not work with hackers!" Lios growled, his anger rising.

Forte snarled. "I'd so shoot your brains out if you had any..."

"If his skull wasn't so thick, I would have done it already." Helba smirked as she appeared.

Lios gasped in utter surprise. "Helba! How'd you-"

"A deleted post is meaningful, fraught with significance. Did you actually think I would pass up something that juicy? Deleting messages with clues that point toward the truth? Shameful!" Helba shook her head in disappointment, but quickly went back to grinning. "Even a pig-head like you is aware of the true enemy responible for the problems in the five worlds... right?"

"Just because I'm silent, doesn't mean you have permission to call me a pig-head!" Lios growled angrily.

Tsukasa pointed his wand at Lios and frowned. "Prove to us that you're not a pig-head."

"What?" Lios demanded.

"The players who fell into comas during the game continue to suffer and our friends from the Feudal Era and three anime worlds are still stuck here. What we need to do-"

Lios halted him at once. "All right. If it will stop your insistent demand, I will do it… on one condition."

"And that is...?" BT tensed.

"You can prove to me how serious you are by obtaining a Virus Core from the lowest level of the dungeon in Sigma Sorrowful Sweltering Arena."

"Sounds easy." BlackRose gleamed.

A small frown formed on Lios' face. "But... Kite and Zoey cannot use Data Drain. Only under that condition will I join forces with Helba."

"But... how do we defeat a Data Bug if it shows up?!" Nowa panicked.

Zoey flashed a smile. "We accept." Kite grinned in response.

"Nani?!" Everyone except Helba gasped in shock.

"If we do it, will you work with Helba?" Kite asked him.

"Only if you fulfill the condition." Lios spat out. Then, unceremoniously, he warped out of sight.

"…It's nearly impossible to soften that pig-head. I want you two to show him that you're both serious." Helba stated as she logged out for now.

Ranpha moaned. "We're gonna die..."

As the parties exited Net Slum, BlackRose turned to Kite and Zoey with an angry glare and snapped. "What the hell are you two thinking?! We can't win against a Data Bug without the help of your bracelets!"

"Trust us, BlackRose, everything is gonna be okay." Kite reassured her with a smile.

"They're gonna get us killed..." Nanael whined.

Kokoda nodded in agreement and replied "If we do encounter a Data Bug, it won't be the Galaxy Angels' fault this time..."

Milifilue looked at her with quite the panicked expression. "W-What's that supposed to mean?"

After warping to Sigma Server, the parties arrived at Sigma Sorrowful Sweltering Arena.

Reina turned to Kite and Zoey and said "I hope you two know what you're doing..." She was worried.

Zoey grinned at her busty friend and replied "Of course. We won't use our bracelets. Something good will happen, trust us..."

Bacchi-Gu gulped and stated nervously "I don't wanna end up in a coma at school..."

In a flash, Lios warped in front of the gang, wearing a viscious glare. For a long moment, he was silent. Eventually, he spoke up. "You two understand?"

"We understand. We won't use Data Drain in this area..."

Harima glared at Lios and spat venomously. "But you better keep your promise when this is over..."

Lios frowned as he warped out of sight.

And so, the parties entered the dungeon bravely. They had to fight their way through five rooms on the first floor.

After making it near the exit, they decided to take a break. Echidna was pondering why Kite and Zoey accepted a dangerous challenge.

Irma walked up to her teacher and asked "Are you having doubts about this plan, Master Echidna?"

Echinda, however, smirked and stated "I see... My, my, Zoey... You are a clever girl... I like that. Fu, fu, fu, fu..." Echidna chortled sexily.

"What do you mean?" Irma asked, looking at her master in confusion.

"You'll see, my former student..." Echidna grinned as she and the gang entered the stairs to the next floor, leaving a confused Irma to follow behind.

It was a rough fight, but they made it to the final floor where they entered the last room and saw...

"See?! What did we tell you?! A Data Bug!" Bacho panicked as she turned into an anime chibi in fright.

"Stay calm... If we lose our heads, it's all over..." Bear frowned as he readies his sword. Mimiru followed suit.

"We will win... Trust us. Ready, Kite?" Zoey winked at her friend.

"Ready! And remember, we can't use Data Drain." Kite grinned as the two of them rushed towards the Data Bug, inflicting damage on it.

"What the...?" Tomoko gasped in shock at the sight of the Data Bug's HP being drained. "Aren't Data Bugs supposed to have infinite HP?!"

"Hey, you're right... This Data Bug is different from the others!" Ranma just then figured out what exactly was going on.

"Either way, we must help Kite and Zoey!" Kan'u shouted as she, Chohi and Ryubi charged at the 'Data Bug,' followed by Reina, Tomoe, Alleyne and Nanael.

"Thunder Dance!" Kite shouted, switching to a thunder elemental weapon to hit the monster for massive damage.

The monster retaliated by throwing dark meteors at the parties, inflicting great damage in return.

Reina charged at the monster. The beast swiped its claw at the Exiled Warrior, but she leaped out of the way and landed upon the monster's back. With an intense thrust, she jabbed her sword into it, dealing some decent pain.

Next up was Nanael and Nowa. The half-elf and outcast angel got between the monster, and Nowa used her staff to hit it in the noggin.

Nanael was about to use energy arrows to hit it, but the monster swiped the angel away, leaving her head stuck in the ground.

The bandit killer and her sworn sisters were next as they used different attacks to hit the so called 'Data Bug.'

Soon, Harima and Tenma joined in, followed by casting support from Tsusaka, Keitaro and other Wavemasters.

BlackRose at first was hesitant, but with a look of courage, she let out a battle cry and leaped into the air. Slice! A potent slash chopped off the monster's head, causing it to vanish into data.

"We... We did it?" BlackRose was shocked, as was the rest of the gang. Lios was watching the whole time and even he was impressed.

He folded his arms. "Why didn't you two use Data Drain? You could have shared the same fate as the comatose victims..."

BlackRose turned to Lios with a frown and shouted "You're the one that made them do it! What the hell are you saying?!"

"Yeah!" Mimiru nodded, backing up BlackRose.

Kagome puffed her cheeks in anger. "We fought something a lot stronger than that one!"

"Yeah! You don't know anything!" Ukyo added, pointing a finger at Lios with an angry scowl.

Zoey turned to her friends with a smile and said "Lios knows."

"What?" Tsusaka turned to Kite and Zoey with a questionable look.

"You watched us fight Cubia..." Cho'un smirked proudly.

"What are you lot talking about?" Lios demanded, before continuing with "…Anyway, that Data Bug you just defeated was a fake one that I created. If it was real, it wouldn't have gone that easily. Don't get cocky."

Kite smiled. "We had a feeling it was. This game is just as important to Lios."

"So someone like that won't make us do something dangerous." Zoey added.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place? I thought I was gonna have a heart attack!" BlackRose snapped.

Suddenly, Helba appeared, causing Forte to gasp in utter surprise. "Whoa, crap!"

"Lios, you lose..." Helba smirked

"Yeah, I lost... I completely lost. This hell isn't amusing..." Lios spat out.

Helba laughed for a bit before saying "Lios, while I'm at it, I'll tell you something else. CC Corp has begun to create a script for their farce."

"Hmmm?" Lios was caught off guard by this.

"Agencies that were sympathetic to CC Corp. are preparing to announce that the company is responsible. After hearing that, the upper managment is going out on a gamble for their own protection."

"W-What do you mean?!" Ryubi gasped in fright.

Helba frowned. "Physical destruction of the servers. They are planning on throwing this world in the dark, along with the lost ones and out of place ones..."

Everyone gasped in shock upon hearing this.

"They'll probably say that hackers or terrorists are responsible for it." Helba stated with an indecipherable smirk.

"But... it won't solve everything..." Mimiru looked down in sadness.

"That won't stop the infection of the network! The whole world is at stake here!" Zoey shouted in shock.

"Yes, you're right, Zoey. CC Corp. knows that, but they are still proceeding. They don't care about the infection of the network." Helba stated sympathetically.

"We've got to do something before it is too late..." BT frowned. Lios, all the while, remained silent.

"Lios, we did what you asked, but... we won't force you." Kite stated sympathicticlly.

Lios sighed, completely resigned to his defeat. "You three are such brats... All right, I'll keep my promise... I will help you." With that said, he proceeded to log out.

Chohi pumped her fist in the air triumphantly. "Alright!"

"You two did pretty well… It's going to get busy from now on, though." Helba smiled.

Zoey nodded with a confident smile of her own.

"Yeah..."

To be continued...

Next chapter: Rescue Service?

A/N: Whew! Typing on this ipad is harder than I thought! I got a beta reader to help fix some errors, so next up is Rachel's rescue service with Melona and her gang trying to interfer with our heroes, so stay tuned! Special credit to my pal from the Nisa forums who we call Ghost for being my beta reader and co-editor!


	79. Rachel's Delivery Service

**A/N: Hello all! Sorry about this, but I made an error on this chapter's title called Treasure Hunting? Its real name is Rachel's Delivery Service. Note that this chapter's title is a reference to Kiki's Delivery Service. Not our favorite monkey Mew Mew Kikki, but a Kiki from a movie from long ago. You know the one. Also, Ghost and I are gonna try our best to reedited chapters of my Dot Hack fic and HDN fic. Okay, enough about me, start the chapter! Hehe!**

**Chapter 79: Rachel's Delivery Service**

Zoey and Tomoka were walking downtown to Cafe Mew Mew. The girl figured she should show the child from Seiren the cafe and also talk to Elliot about the situation so far.

Tomoko looked at her friend and asked "Does this Cafe Mew Mew have any good sweets?"

Zoey smiled softly and replied with "Of course it does. The cafe has strawberry cake, blueberry pie, donuts and more deserts you will like."

The talk about deserts made Tomoko drool as she doze off into dream land. 'Mmmmm... deserts...' The little girl snapped out of he trance upon noticing they have arrived at Cafe Mew Mew.

"We're here." Zoey smiled as she opened the doors. To Zoey and Tomoka's surprise, the place seemed empty.

Luckily, a friendly face in the form of Wesley walked up to the two.

"Wesley, where is everyone?" Zoey asked, the girl looked at the eerie empty cafe.

"Due to the virus infecting the computers all around Tokyo, Cafe Mew Mew is closed till further notice. But I will give you a treat if you like. We still have some leftover cakes and they're still fresh." Wesley smiled.

"Aww... Tomoka wanted to see this place!" Tomoka pouted as she kicked the dirt.

"Don't worry, Tomoka, once we defeat the Cursed Wave and save Bridget and the other players, I will take you to Cafe Mew Mew next time." Zoey reassured the little girl from Seiren as she patted her on the head after her co-boss gave her some cake.

Tomoka looked at her online friend and smiled as the two of them head back to the Hanson residence.

"So, what's next?" Tomoka asked, taking a bite out of her cake.

"Hmm... Good question." Zoey scratched her chin in thought at that question. It's been a day since they have gained Lios' help, Wiseman emailed her about the success of BlackRose's plan. They didn't think they can do it, but they succeeded!

Wiseman hasn't gotten any info on the origin of the Wave, but maybe Tsusaka knows something? The girl decided to ask her Wavemaster friend later about the Wave's origins.

Suddenly, Zoey remembered something very important.

"We have to help Rachel with her delivery service and help Moonstone get an item too." Zoey snapped her fingers in thought.

"Tomoka doesn't want to help that greedy Blademaster!" Tomoka stick out her tongue in disapproval.

"Sorry Tomoka. But she'll go into complain mode if we don't. Let's log into The World and see what's up." Zoey told her as she and Tomoka checked The World's Board for any info.

Suddenly, something caught their eye.

The topic was called **"Cursed Area Information" **by one Zorge.

It read:

**"The missing programmer's curse is on some area and the players who see it... Heh heh heh heh heh... Aaaaaah!"**

Squid Jelly repiled with:

**"Somewhere in Sigma Fleeting Fallpw Chaos you hear the clicking of the keyboard and sometimes... a scream... Plus, runor has it that a player that looks like Claudette Vance from Queen's Blade is seen there... Ooooooooooooooooooh..."**

"Tomoka, did you get that?" Zoey asked the girl fron Seiren seriously.

Tomoka nodded with a serious look and stated "It may lead us to a clue on the Wave. Plus there may be an otherworlder there as well!"

"Well, let's log into The World to help Rachel and Moonstone." Zoey told her. Tomoka nodded as they put on their Neuron Goggles and logged into The World,.

They arrived at Sigma server where Kite, Tsusaka, Kochu, Rinny (The one who is the daughter of Kochu. Sesshomaru and Kochu think Rin 1 and Rin 2 was confusing so they decided to nickname Kochu's daughter Rinny till the Rin with Sesshomaru gets back to her home in the Feudal Era), Sousou, Milfeulle, Reina, Nanael and Nyx waiting for them.

It was then Mimiru logged in at the same time as Zoey and Tomoka.

Rachel looked at Mimiru oddly and commented "Hey BlackRose? Did you ask the mods to change your character or something?"

Mimiru has an anger vein on her forehead and growled "My name is Mimiru... I look like BlackRose because she and I look alike but differently... Get it through your thick skull..."

Rachel sweat dropped and stated "Um... Anyway, we're starting Rachel's Courier Service by heading to Sigma Expansive Corrupted Ridgeline."

"Right. Let's go." Tsusaka nodded as the parties were formed and they went to the area.

The area in question was a lava area. Without a moment too soon, they entered the dungeon.

Their first client, named Kida was waiting for them. "Hey, you guys are the Rachel Courier Service?" He asked.

"Yup, that's us!" Rachel closed her eyes and grinned.

"Ok, I've got a job for you. There's a player called Akai in the dungeon. So give him the Red Sword and get the Yellow Cap."

"No problem!" Rachel nodded without thinking.

"Er... Rachel, remember what happen last time when we first met you?" Kite shifted nervously.

"Huh? What you do mean?" Mimiru questioned as Rachel takes the items.

Unfortunaly, Mimiru didn't get an answer as the party head into the next room.

Eventually, they made it to the second floor.

"All we gotta do is go down to the dungeon and come back and get paid! Ok, let's make some money!" Rachel grinned.

"Yeah! Moola!" Nanael grinned in unision.

They found Akai in the second room and Rachel gave him the Red Sword, which is odd since he is a Long Arm.

"What? You brought it now? You guys were late so I traded the Yellow Cap with Aoyama." Akai gawked, then continued by saying "But I'm sure you'll explain it and give him these Blue Boots, he'll give it to you."

Akai gave Rachel the Blue Boots. "I think Aoyama is at the very bottom." Akai stated, but was recieving glares from the parties.

Rachel groaned abd shouted in frustation "We gotta find Aoyama!

"Jesus Fricking Christ..." Nanael buryed her face in her hands and moaned.

Eventually, the parties made it to the final floor and found Aoyama, a blue Heavy-Axeman.

Rachel gave the Blue Boots to Aoyama.

"Hey, you can't ask for something back after you traded it." Aoyama grumbled.

"Just shut up and give it to us before I fry you with my holy arrows!" Nanael screamed, flames around her indicating she's in pissed off mode.

"O-Okay!" Aoyama gulped in fear as he gave the parties the Yellow Cap.

Rachel gave the Yellow Cap to Kida. "Hey, thanks a lot!" Kida bowed gratefully.

He gave the parties 5000 GP except for the otherworlders.

"We've been wondering..." Mimiru frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

"What is it?" Kida asked, concerned.

"If you just asked Akai to come here, you really didn't have to ask for a courier..." Kite closed his eyes and smiled nervously.

"Um... Er... Thank you for your services! W-Well, gotta go!" Akai panicked as he Gate Out.

Rachel has steam coming out of her ears as she screamed "COME BACK HERE!" She Gate Out after him. The parties except for Nanael laughed amusedly at this funny scenairo.

**In the real world...**

Zoey and Tomoka were at Tokyo's Train Stations, the one not infected by the virus.

"Tomoka has fun spending the night at your place, Zoey!" Tomoka closed her eyes and grinned.

"Yeah. It was nice having company at my house. I hope we do this again." Zoey smiled cheerfully.

Tomoka nodded before turning her back. In a split second, she turned around and waved at Zoey and saying cheerfully "We will beat the Wave together!" And then, she headed into the train.

Zoey smiled as she looked at the train heading straight back to Mizuho City. With friends like these, Zoey will save both Bridget and the real world!

To be continued...

Next time: The Moon Knife.

A/N: Whew! Sorry it took so long to finish! I was having some isssues with ny old iPad keyboard, but now I got a better one baby! Anyway, next chapter will have Shampoo spending the night at Zoey's and they help Moonstone get the rare Moon Knife, but Melona and her gang will interfere. So stay tuned!


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